Bardi is supported by Brothers of Italy, the League, Forza Italia–Us Moderates, the Union of the Centre–Christian Democracy, Action, and the civic lists Lucanian Pride, which includes members of Italia Viva, and True Basilicata.

The centre-left coalition chose the province of Matera president Piero Marrese after long negotiations and two other candidates having withdrawn.

It was the centre-right coalition's first regional win in Basilicata since direct elections have been held since 1995 and the first right-wing president since the office was established in 1970.

Ahead of the 2024 Sardinian regional election, the League insisted on the incumbent Christian Solinas, while Brothers of Italy pushed for Paolo Truzzu.

As a result of this internal power struggle within the centre-right coalition, Bardi's re-election bid was not assured;[6][7][8] for example, in exchange for Truzzu, the League asked for their own candidate in Basilicata.

While deeming him an esteemed person, Giuseppe Conte raised the issue of a conflict of interests due to Chiorazzo's entrepreneurial career in health care.

[29][30] After being part of the centre-left coalition in the 2024 Abruzzo regional election, Italia Viva chose to support Bardi.

[32] Speranza, who was the health minister during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy,[33][34] later explained that he still received death threats from anti-vaccine activists and was put under escort, and thus felt he could not be the centre-left coalition candidate.

[1] The long negotiations during the candidacy selections, which caused divisions among both main coalitions,[63][64] attracted national attention, were criticized,[65] were compared to, including by local writers like Gaetano Cappelli, telenovelas and Italian comedy,[66][67] with references to the 2010 Italian film Basilicata Coast to Coast rephrased as Basilicata Caos to Caos.

[69] On 10 October 2023, Volt Italy officially announced the candidacy of its regional coordinator Eustachio Follia,[73][74] who is also a journalist.

[75] Following rumours dating back to autumn 2023,[76] the entrepreneur Angelo Chiorazzo, who is known as "The King of the White Co-Ops",[77] being a co-founder of the Auxilium cooperative and Christian-democratic exponent,[nb 6] announced his candidacy as an independent politician in December 2023.

Chiorazzo was initially supported by Common House Basilicata (the civic movement of which he was part), the Democratic Party,[78] and Italia Viva.

[80] On 25 February 2024, the Popular Area civic movement made official the candidacy of its national secretary Pasquale Tucciariello.

Bardi was supported by seven party lists: Brothers of Italy, the League, Forza Italia, Us Moderates,[86][87] the Union of the Centre–Christian Democracy–United Populars, Action, and the civic list Lucanian Pride, which includes members of Italia Viva after the national party led by Matteo Renzi gave its support to Bardi on 16 March 2024 and joined the centre-right coalition in Basilicata.

[97][98][99] On 13 March 2024, after a few months of negotiations and following the results of the elections in Sardinia and Abruzzo, the Democratic Party, the Five Star Movement, the Green and Left Alliance, More Europe, and the Common House Basilicata civic list announced their support for the candidacy of Lacerenza, until then head of the ophthalmology department of the San Carlo Hospital in Potenza,[100][101][102] and Chiorazzo's candidacy was withdrawn.

[103][104][105] On 16 March 2024, Lacerenza renounced the nomination following the negative reactions that his candidacy had sparked among some mayors, administrators, and trade unionists close to the centre-left coalition.

[106][107][108] That same day, following Lacerenza's withdrawal, Chiorazzo re-proposed his candidacy, with the support of Common House Basilicata and other civic forces.

[129][130][131] Chiorazzo's list included, among others, two former members of the centre-right coalition who had been last elected in 2019 with the League but had criticized Bardi and opposed his re-election bid: Giovanni Viziello and Massimo Zullino of Beyond Basilicata.