Runoff elections in Potsdam and Frankfurt: Who will be the new city hall boss?

Runoff elections in Potsdam and Frankfurt: Who will be the new city hall boss?

Overall, there is a shadow in the election reporting, where two cities are in focus: Potsdam and Frankfurt (Oder). Today, October 12, 2025, the decisive runoff elections for the mayoral election will take place in both cities, which have been closely followed since 8 a.m. Citizens have the opportunity to elect their new town hall leaders and initiate any changes in city politics.

Things will be particularly exciting in Frankfurt (Oder), where a candidate from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) could take over for the first time. The independent candidate Axel Strasser is currently leading with 32.4% of the vote, ahead of Wilko Möller from the AfD, who has achieved 30.2%. None of the previous CDU and SPD candidates made it into this decisive round: CDU candidate Désirée Schrade failed with 28.8%, while SPD candidate Simona Koß only received 8.6% of the votes. Around 46,000 residents are eligible to vote, and voter turnout has so far reached 53.4%, as rbb24 reports.

Election in Potsdam and its significance

There is also a lot at stake in Potsdam. Here the non-party Noosha Aubel and Severin Fischer from the SPD face each other. In the election at the end of September, Aubel received 34.0% of the vote, while Fischer received 16.9%. The SPD, which has held the mayor's post in Potsdam for 35 years, sees this election as very crucial. In the city, the counting of votes will begin after polling stations close at 6 p.m.

The background to these elections is complex. In Frankfurt (Oder), the previous mayor René Wilke (independent) resigned early in spring 2025 to take over the office of Interior Minister of Brandenburg. This has brought about a change in city policy that is urgently seen as necessary, as Möller emphasizes. His competition, Axel Strasser, is a political scientist and works at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK), which also gives him a certain amount of support in the political landscape.

Overview of the elections and voter turnout

The selection of candidates reflects the changes and challenges facing both cities. In Germany, citizen participation in local elections has been declining since the late 1980s, a fact that is examined in detail in the DFG. A comprehensive data set shows the influence of community size and institutional factors on voter turnout. These findings are particularly relevant in the current election situation, as they could help decision-makers get voters more interested in local issues again.

The outcome of these elections will not only determine the political direction in Potsdam and Frankfurt (Oder), but could also illustrate a larger trend in German local politics. In the evening it will be clear whether the voters will take a new course and how the presidency has changed in these two important cities. Things will remain exciting until the polls close.