Mayoral election in Brandenburg: Exciting runoff elections on Sunday!

Mayoral election in Brandenburg: Exciting runoff elections on Sunday!

On Sunday, October 30, 2025, mayoral elections will take place in 18 Brandenburg municipalities. There is already a runoff election in Nauen today because no candidate was able to achieve the required absolute majority of 15 percent of the votes. This regulation is part of the Brandenburg Local Elections Act, which regulates the conduct of elections and has provided for direct election of mayors since 1993 and of district administrators since 2010. The recording of voter turnout shows that it is often below 50 percent in Brandenburg, which is partly due to lack of knowledge about the role of the mayor and inadequate election programs, such as Political education in Brandenburg describes.

In the city of Oranienburg, seven candidates are running, including the incumbent mayor Alexander Laesicke as an individual candidate. In Luckenwalde, eight men are also applying to succeed Elisabeth Herzog-von der Heide (SPD), who is no longer running. The elections in Eisenhüttenstadt are also exciting, where four people are fighting for the mayor's office, including Marko Henkel (SPD) and Maik Diepold (AfD).

Candidates and municipalities in focus

Several cities and municipalities in Brandenburg are faced with a full field of candidates this election season. There are four candidates up for election in Treuenbrietzen, including Anja Schmollack (CDU) and Mike Fetzer (Alliance City and Villages). Rheinsberg is also voting with four candidates, including the incumbent Frank-Rudi Schwochow (BVB/Free Voters).

The situation in Bad Freienwalde, where three candidates are competing for the office of mayor, and in Pritzwalk, where the incumbent Ronald Thiel is a single candidate, shows the diversity of the political landscape. There will also be exciting election campaigns in Kolkwitz, where the incumbent mayor Karsten Schreiber (SPD) is running, and in Luckau, where the current incumbent Gerald Lehmann (individual candidate) is standing for election.

• Amtsinhaber Ronald Thiel (Pritzwalk)
• Karsten Schreiber (Kolkwitz, SPD)
• Gerald Lehmann (Luckau, Einzelbewerber)

In addition, three candidates are running for election in Finsterwalde, including the incumbent Jörg Gampe (individual candidate), and in Teltow, where André Freymuth (CDU) and Claudia Eller-Funke (SPD) are reacting to the resignation of Thomas Schmidt (SPD). The mayoral election in Nuthe-Urstromtal is led by incumbent Stefan Scheddin (individual candidate) and Rajko Prill (AfD), while in Prenzlau Eve Guske (individual candidate) and Marek Wöller-Beetz (CDU) are fighting for the support of voters.

Exciting election campaigns can also be expected in Vetschau and Friedland, where two and three candidates are competing to win the mayor's position. These elections are not only crucial for the municipalities affected, but also for the political landscape in Brandenburg as a whole.

The upcoming mayoral elections in other cities will follow, with runoff elections on October 12th and 19th, 2025 in various municipalities, including Hennigsdorf, Eisenhüttenstadt and Glienicke/Nordbahn. Each of these ballots will depend on a turnout that is considered insufficient after the last election, and it remains to be seen whether Brandenburg citizens will participate more actively this time.

For a detailed overview of each election and an update on the results, please visit the comprehensive reports at rbb24 as well as specific information about the local elections Political education in Brandenburg.