Ulm's New Lord Mayor: Martin Ansbacher Takes the Reins from Gunter Czisch
Martin Ansbacher, a lawyer affiliated with the SPD party, emerged triumphant in Ulm's local elections, securing the position of Lord Mayor in the municipality of Baden-Württemberg. With a resounding 55.11% of the votes, Ansbacher outperformed Gunter Czisch, the incumbent CDU candidate, who observed a 44.89% share of the votes. The election results were announced on December 3, but nobody managed to reach the required majority, necessitating a run-off, wherein Ansbacher sealed his victory.
When the preliminary election results were unveiled, Ansbacher admitted to being "taken aback" by the overwhelming support he received. Having served as a council member since 2014 and also holding the position of district chairman of the Ulm SPD since 2019, Ansbacher acknowledged that the forthcoming years won't be an easy ride, but he is eager to face the challenge.
Meanwhile, Czisch expressed his suspicion that some Green Party voters might have opted to support Ansbacher in the run-off election after initially backing Green Party Chairwoman Lena Schwelling in the initial voting round.
Unfortunately, the run-off election was called for due to the lack of an absolute majority in the initial vote on December 3. Tübingen regional council is currently scrutinizing an objection filed against the election itself by non-party candidate Daniel Langhans, who questions the legitimacy of his 2.62% share of the votes.
In the meantime, Ansbacher will assume control of Ulm's long-term plans and policies, instilling his vision and passion that he has nurtured throughout his political career.
