Cities Across South-West Germany Head for Run-Off Elections
Sunday saw voting in four south-western German municipalities, with mayoral elections taking place in Ulm, Leinfelden-Echterdingen (Esslingen district), Herrenberg (Böblingen district), and Rheinstetten (Karlsruhe district). As of the preliminary results, both Rheinstetten and Herrenberg have declared winners. However, Ulm and Leinfelden-Echterdingen require run-off elections to choose their mayors, set for December 17.
The Race in Ulm
In Ulm, incumbent Gunter Czisch (CDU) secured 43.16% of the votes, placing him in the run-off against lawyer Martin Ansbacher (SPD) with 29.74%. Lena Schwelling, the state chairwoman of the Greens, will not proceed further in the competition following her 20.63% voting share.
Leinfelden-Echterdingen's Contenders
In Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Otto Ruppaner, with backing from the Free Voters, and Raiko Grieb, an independent SPD candidate, will contend in the December 17 run-off election. According to the preliminary results, Ruppaner polled 35.9%, and Grieb ran close behind with 25.01%. Roland Klenk (CDU), whose resignation was announced in April, served as the city's mayor since 2001 and will not take part in the upcoming vote.
Herrenberg's New Mayor
Herrenberg's residents selected their new mayor, with Nico Reith polling 72.48%. The 32-year-old public administrator was the only non-partisan candidate among three contenders. Incumbent Thomas Sprißler (Freie Wähler) opted against running again.
The Fate of Rheinstetten's Mayor
Rheinstetten witnessed the re-election of Sebastian Schrempp (CDU), with 73.3% of the votes, against 26.53% for 29-year-old Isabella Metzke. As a result, this is Schrempp's third term in office for the commune.
Mayoral elections in Baden-Württemberg typically take place independently of municipal council elections. Only in independent cities with a population exceeding 100,000 (known as urban districts) and large district towns with more than 20,000 inhabitants do mayors hold the title of Lord Mayor.
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- In the upcoming run-off elections on December 17, Gunter Czisch (CDU) from Ulm and lawyer Martin Ansbacher (SPD) will face off as the provisional election results suggest.
- Raiko Grieb, an independent candidate backed by the SPD, and Otto Ruppaner, who is supported by the Free Voters, will contest the run-off elections in Leinfelden-Echterdingen on December 17.
- Nico Reith, a non-partisan public administrator, was chosen as Herrenberg's new mayor with 72.48% of the votes, according to the provisional election results.
- As per the election reports, while Lena Schwelling, the state chairwoman of the Greens in Ulm, remained active during the campaign, she did not amass sufficient votes to become mayor.
- Baden-Württemberg's municipalities, which include cities such as Rheinstetten, Leinfelden-Echterden, Herrenberg, and Ulm, hold mayoral elections independently of the municipal council elections.
- After announcing his resignation in April, Roland Klenk (CDU), who served as Leinfelden-Echterden's mayor since 2001, will not participate in the upcoming run-off election in the same commune.
- December 17 will see the culmination of the mayoral races in four South-Western German municipalities: Ulm, Leinfelden-Echterden, Rheinstetten, and Herrenberg, where run-off elections will decide the winners.
- Sebastian Schrempp (CDU) successfully secured his third term as the mayor of Rheinstetten with 73.3% of the votes against Isabella Metzke (26.53%), according to the provisional election results.
- Koengen (Esslingen district), currently overseen by Otto Ruppaner, who is taking part in the run-off elections in Leinfelden-Echterden, is one of the many municipalities in South-Western Germany holding mayoral elections.
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To find the latest results and run-off election dates for the specific mayoral elections in Ulm, Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Rheinstetten, and Herrenberg, consult local German news sources or official election websites.
