Grynspan Extends Lead in UN Secretary-General Race
An informal Security Council straw poll showed Rebeca Grynspan with her strongest support yet in the contest to succeed Antonio Guterres.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Elections
Rebeca Grynspan received 12 votes in favor and three against in an informal UN Security Council poll, extending her lead in the race for UN secretary-general. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett received eight votes in favor and Rafael Grossi received nine encourage votes in the same poll.
Why it matters
The secretary-general leads the United Nations as it faces multiple wars and cutbacks in US contributions to the organization. The informal polls are used to gauge which candidate could secure the council's formal recommendation.
The poll recorded 12 votes in favor and three against for Grynspan on the 15-member council, her strongest result in eight closed-door ballots in recent months. A formal recommendation requires at least nine positive votes and no discourage votes from the five permanent members, and it is not yet clear when a formal vote will occur.
The players
Rebeca Grynspan
A Costa Rican candidate and the frontrunner in the race to become UN secretary-general, who has led most recent straw polls.
Antonio Guterres
The current UN secretary-general who is finishing his second five-year term in 2026.
Rafael Grossi
An Argentine diplomat and candidate who placed second in the informal Security Council poll.
Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett
A Guyanese candidate who placed third in the informal poll and was ranked first in an August poll.
Lana Nusseibeh
An Emirati diplomat and candidate who placed fourth in the informal Security Council poll.
The details
The Security Council conducts informal straw polls by secret ballot with encourage, discourage and no-opinion options. Grossi received nine encourage votes and placed second, while Lana Nusseibeh received seven votes in favor, six against and two no opinion, placing fourth.
Timeline
October 2016: Guterres was chosen as secretary-general after six straw polls.
Recent months: Seven polls were conducted, with one in August placing Rodrigues-Birkett first.
November 5, 2026: The informal poll showing Grynspan's extended lead was held.
2026: Guterres finishes his second five-year term.
Political Context
The 2016 selection of Guterres followed six informal straw polls before the Security Council settled on a candidate, and the current race uses the same process. Grynspan's lead is building through repeated polling in a contest that will determine who replaces Guterres when his second term ends in 2026.
A formal Security Council vote on the secretary-general candidate will follow once one candidate shows a strong chance of prevailing. Readers should expect the next formal recommendation to depend on whether any candidate secures at least nine positive votes with no discourage votes from the permanent members.
The takeaway
The contest shows how the UN selects its top official through repeated informal polling before any formal vote. Watching the vote counts will indicate which candidate is gaining the support needed for formal recommendation.
Further reading
For background on how these contests are decided, see Elections coverage on Wisevoter.
