The Democrats party released results of its first primary election Monday night after ten hours of voting. Yair Golan leads the list, followed by Naama Lazimi, Gilad Kariv, Efrat Rayten, and Yair (Yaya) Fink securing top spots.
1+Fifty-one candidates competed for spots on the list, with about ten considered realistic contenders. Beyond the individual race, the primary served as the first test of the party’s identity since the Labor-Meretz merger, the weight of protest leaders within it, and Golan’s ability to assemble a list that could join a broad coalition government.
The party said turnout reached 46% in the first three hours among 112,654 registered members. Polls closed at 7:00 PM, and throughout the day more than 97,000 members voted through a digital system that the party said operated smoothly and continuously.
1+Democrats Primary Results – Knesset List for 26th Knesset:
1. Yair Golan
2. Naama Lazimi
3. Gilad Kariv
4. Efrat Rayten
5. Yaya Fink
6. Gabi Lasky
7. Omri Ronen
8. Michal Rozin
9. Moshe Redman
10. Somaya Bashir
11. Nimrod Shafer
12. Moran Zer Katzenstein
13. Avi Dabush
14. Emily Moatti
15. Tomer Avital
16. Naava Rozilio
17. Ram Shefa
18. Ali Salalha
19. Retem Sivan
20. Moran Michel
Alongside the results, the Democrats party barred Channel 14 from covering the primary event—despite a court ruling that called on the parties to reach an agreement allowing coverage in line with a previous Supreme Court decision on the Channel 14 boycott.
This marks the first internal election test for the new framework since the Labor-Meretz merger. Both parties came to it after years of decline: Meretz remained outside the Knesset in the last election, Labor shrank to four seats, and the Zionist left gradually lost its power and public standing.