Two Municipalities Hold Run-off Elections for Mayoral Positions
This coming Sunday, the cities of Ulm and Leinfelden-Echterdingen (Esslingen district) are hosting run-off elections for their Lord Mayors' offices. Neither city managed to declare a clear majority winner in the initial voting two weeks prior. Preliminary results should be available come evening time.
Currently, incumbent Gunter Czisch (CDU) fights for another term in Ulm's Lord Mayor seat. The 60-year-old has held the position since 2016 and faces lawyer Martin Ansbacher (SPD) as his main contender. Running on December 3, Czisch garnered 43.16 percent of the votes, with Ansbacher following closely behind with 29.74 percent.
The Tübingen regional council is currently investigating an objection lodged by non-party candidate Daniel Langhans against the first election's results. Langhans questions the count on his own vote, stating that it was delved below the actual 2.62 percent. So far, the council has reported that the objection had no initial impact on the run-off election.
Only when the first election is declared invalid by the council will the run-off election be invalidated, and a re-run or new election ensue. However, to mandate an election annulment, the election result should have realistically changed without the alleged error.
In Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Otto Ruppaner and Raiko Grieb are vying for the Lord Mayor position. Born in 1982, Ruppaner maintains the support of the Free Voters and serves as the mayor of Köngen (Esslingen district). According to city figures, he received 35.9 percent in the initial election.
Ministerialrat Grieb (45) is a member of the SPD and is running as an independent candidate with the party's support. In the vote, he secured 25.01 percent. Following the resignation of Roland Klenk (CDU) in April, Grieb entered the race for the mayor seat.
City Sites and Candidate Websites:
- City of Ulm:
- City of Leinfelden-Echterdingen:
- Gunter Czisch:
- Martin Ansbacher:
- Otto Ruppaner:
- Raiko Grieb:
While the election results in Leinfelden-Echterdingen are not affected by the aforementioned dispute, Baden-Württemberg's Tübingen district is currently under investigation for election result objections from a non-party candidate.
The outcome of these elections could significantly impact the political landscape in both cities as well as the broader Baden-Württemberg region. The CDU, SPD, and Free Voters may gain or lose ground, potentially altering local policies and development plans. Ultimately, the poll results might inspire or discourage potential future candidates and shape the political narrative moving forward.
Sources: , enrichment data not used in the article.
