Runoff elections in North Rhine-Westphalia: Battle for the mayor’s office – Who will win the race?

Runoff elections in North Rhine-Westphalia: Battle for the mayor’s office – Who will win the race?

On Sunday, September 28, 2025, the exciting battle for votes in almost 150 runoff elections will begin in North Rhine-Westphalia. Mayoral, mayoral and district administrator offices are being awarded, and cities such as Dortmund, Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen and Cologne are the focus of attention. This round of elections is particularly significant as none of the candidates were able to achieve the required absolute majority in the first round, forcing a second round. In Cologne, the green candidate Berivan Aymaz could make history and become the city's first green mayor. Her challenger, Torsten Burmester from the SPD, will be particularly challenged in this crucial phase, as Henriette Reker, the independent incumbent, is no longer running after two terms.

The key data of the choice

The upcoming runoff elections are no coincidence; citizens are in demand: around 13.7 million voters are called upon to cast their votes, and voters can use the same documents in the runoff election as in the local elections on September 14th. An important aspect: People who became eligible to vote after this date are not allowed to take part. However, anyone who would like to cast their vote by postal vote must ensure that a new application for postal voting documents is necessary for the runoff election, even if they have already submitted an application for the first election. This is particularly true for the city of Cologne, which also offers an online application.

The tension is rising because voters will be curious to see whether the CDU, which remained the strongest force in the local elections with 33.3%, can also defend this position in the runoff elections. The SPD, on the other hand, lost 2.2 points compared to the last election and now stands at 22.1%. A remarkable increase in the AfD, which reached 14.5%, is also driving political discussions. It remains to be seen whether this dynamic will be decisive for the runoff elections in Gelsenkirchen, Duisburg and Hagen, where AfD candidates are competing against the SPD and CDU.

A look at the competitors

The other cities in North Rhine-Westphalia are also fighting for citizens' votes. In Düsseldorf, the incumbent mayor Stephan Keller (CDU) is demanding a second term in office from Clara Gerlach (Greens). Here too, voters expect an exciting race. Stuttgart, with the runoff elections in Dortmund, where Thomas Westphal (SPD) has to compete against Alexander Kalouti (CDU), also remains a hot spot. The district elections will not be boring either, because in various municipalities there will be a head-to-head race between the parties for the best places.

The preliminary results of the local elections can be viewed on an interactive map covering all 396 cities and towns. It shows the different coloring of the results by city and municipality, which enables citizens to get a good overview of the election situation. If you are interested in the details, you can also access the results on the websites of the respective cities and the North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for Information and Technology ( WAZ ).

Tension is high ahead of the runoff elections and all eyes will be on Cologne as citizens decide on September 28 who will be in charge in the coming years. Be it the Greens, the SPD or the other parties, every vote counts!