The Canton of Saint-Martin-de-Ré is a French former administrative division located in Île de Ré, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes. It was disbanded following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. It consisted of 5 communes, which joined the new Canton of Île de Ré in 2015.Décret n° 2014-269 du 27 février 2014 portant délimitation des cantons dans le département de la Charente-Maritime Its chef-lieu was Saint-Martin-de-Ré. It had 13,196 inhabitants (2012).Populations légales 2012: 17 Charente-Maritime, INSEE

Geography The canton was bordered by the pertuis Breton to the north, by the "strait of La Pallice" to the east and the sluice of Antioch to the south. To the west, it adjoined the canton of Ars-en-Ré by the commune of La Couarde-sur-Mer. Its altitude varied all the way from 0 m (La Flotte) to 17 m (Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré) with an average altitude of 8 m (about 8.8 yards high). The nature of its soil as the geology of the island are of the same origin than the one of Aunis, whose Île de Ré represents the western extension.

Administration

The canton was located in the eastern part of Île de Ré and belonged to the arrondissement of La Rochelle. Its chef-lieu was the small port town of Saint-Martin-de-Ré. The canton comprised the following communes: Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré La Flotte Rivedoux-Plage Sainte-Marie-de-Ré Saint-Martin-de-Ré

Politics List of the general councillors (conseillers généraux) since 1906: Period Conseiller Party Occupation 1906–1920 Gustave Perreau Parti radical Mayor of La Rochelle (1925–1928), senator (1912–1939) 1920- Jules Bernard -1979 André Chaigne DVD Mayor of Sainte-Marie-de-Ré (1959–1977) 1979–1985 Roland Vergnaud DVD Mayor of Rivedoux-Plage (1977–1983) 1985–present Léon Gendre UMP Mayor of La Flotte since 1977, restaurateur

Elections: results (1979-2011)

2011 CandidateParty%VotesLéon GendreUMP55,04 %2929Patrice RaffarinDVD44,96 %2393

2004 CandidateParty%VotesLéon GendreUMP50,5 %3196Thierry PoitteDVD19,7 %1250Claude MosséVerts13,8 %877Elise SomprouFN6,5 %415Robert GrignonDVD5,5 %347Daniel MatifasPCF3,9 %249

1998 CandidateParty%VotesLéon GendreRPR58,9 %2873Alain MercierPRG41,1 %2003

1992 CandidateParty%VotesLéon GendreRPR51,1 %2351Alain MercierMRG48,9 %2246

1985 CandidateParty%VotesLéon GendreRPR43,0 %1915Paul LaidetMRG33,7 %1498Roland VergnaudDVD23,3 %1037

1979 CandidateParty%VotesRoland VergnaudDVD55,1 %1970Léon GendreRPR44,9 %1607

References