Munich Mayor election: Losses for Reiter are becoming apparent

In the election of Munich’s mayor, incumbent Dieter Reiter (SPD) recorded significant losses. He has to go into the runoff election.

After counting more than 1,364 of 1,376 constituencies, he received 35.6 percent of the votes, followed by the Green candidate Dominik Krause with 29.4 percent. This means that the race will not be decided until the runoff election on March 22nd. In 2020, Reiter received 47.9 percent of the votes in the first round of voting. CSU candidate Clemens Baumgärtner only received 21.4 percent of the vote.

Reiter (SPD) attributes his likely poor performance in the local elections in the Bavarian capital to the criticism of the past few weeks. “I’ve made one or two mistakes in the last two weeks,” he said that evening in Munich and spoke of an “election evening that was disappointing for me.”

Reiter had recently been criticized for his work for FC Bayern and his handling of it – among other things because he had not declared income from his position there to the city council.

The 67-year-old thanked his party and the voters “who have placed their trust in me despite the last two weeks.” The aim now is to “regain lost trust” until the runoff election.

Dominik Krause (Alliance 90/The Greens), Second Mayor of Munich, stands on stage with a bouquet of flowers at the Green Party's election party after the local elections in the Bavarian capital. — Dominik Krause (Alliance 90/The Greens), Second Mayor of Munich, stands on stage with a bouquet of flowers at the Green Party’s election party after the local elections in the Bavarian capital. Peter Kneffel/dpa

Green Party candidate Dominik Krause in “ecstasy”

Munich mayoral candidate Dominik Krause and the Greens are celebrating the surprisingly strong performance in the local elections. “It’s a little ecstasy of joy,” Krause told the German Press Agency at his party’s election party. Although it had become clear in recent weeks that things were going so well, it was “a very positive surprise”.

And it is also a choice between different generations. “I’m standing here as a young candidate,” said Krause, and for something to happen in Munich. The 67-year-old Reiter, who is aiming for a third term in office, ran with the slogan “Munich. Reiter. Passt”, among other things.

But there is a desire for change in the city, emphasized Krause, and for “Munich to become more beautiful.” He did not want to answer the question of the extent to which Reiter’s behavior in recent weeks had an impact on the success of the Greens. Mayoral elections are always personal elections, said Krause. But for him – now also in the election campaign before the upcoming runoff election – it’s about content. And that is also the case with Dieter Reiter.