Lorenzo Martinico
Scottish Greens councillor for Portobello/Craigmillar on City of Edinburgh Council.
Lorenzo Martinico took Portobello/Craigmillar for the Scottish Greens on 3 September 2026 with 1,781 first preferences, the party's first by-election victory in Edinburgh, weeks before the Scottish Labour leadership changed hands.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Is the Greens' first Edinburgh by-election win a sign of things to come?
Timeline for Lorenzo Martinico
Won Portobello/Craigmillar with 1,781 votes
UK Local Elections 2026: Marra's MSPs vote for right to decideBackground
Lorenzo Martinico sits on City of Edinburgh Council for the Scottish Greens, representing Portobello/Craigmillar, Ward 17. The Edinburgh Greens describe him as a campaigner on housing and co-operatives.
He was elected at a by-election in September 2026, called after the previous councillor, Kate Campbell, moved to the Scottish Parliament. His first-preference total of 1,781 put him ahead of the SNP and Scottish Labour.
His seat holds a place in the party's local record. According to The Edinburgh Reporter, no Green had won a council by-election in the capital before him, and his arrival took the Green group on the council to 11 members.
The Greens break through in Portobello
Martinico's victory came in a three-way fight. On polling day, 3 September 2026, he finished 250 votes clear of the SNP on 1,531, with Scottish Labour third on 1,413; 22.9% of the electorate voted. The Edinburgh Reporter recorded it as the first time The Greens had won a by-election in the city.
The result made him Edinburgh's 11th Green councillor and, by The Scotsman's account, left the SNP without either of the two city seats contested that night. Within three weeks Scottish Labour, third in his ward, had elected Michael Marra as leader, so the next contest in Portobello/Craigmillar will test a reshaped Labour as well as The Greens.
Who won the Portobello/Craigmillar by-election?
Why was there a by-election in Portobello/Craigmillar?
Have the Greens won a council by-election in Edinburgh before?
