After that, the candidate of Democratic Party (PD) seemed a shoo-in for victory. In December 2012, the Commissioner of the Province of Rome, Nicola Zingaretti, decided to run as Governor of Lazio for 2013 regional election. As Lazio had been a traditional stronghold of National Alliance party, the former president Francesco Storace, secretary of the national-conservative party The Right and supported by Silvio Berlusconi's coalition, was chosen for the center-right coalition.[1]
The Regional Council is elected with a mixed system: 39 MPs are chosen with a form of proportional representation using a largest remainder method with open lists and a 5% threshold, while 11 MPs are elected with a block voting system with closed lists. One seat is for the elected president.