Mayoral election 2026: Who are the challengers in your community?

Mayoral election 2026: Who are the challengers in your community?

On January 19, 2026 at 12 p.m. the deadline for the supporters' signatures, which are needed for the local elections, was over. Many applicants are satisfied and have collected the necessary signatures in time to be able to compete. This reports the Augsburger Allgemeine.

In Aresing, former mayor Siegfried Sibinger from the voters' group “Livable Municipality Aresing” is running against the incumbent Klaus Angermeier from the CSU. It remains exciting to see whether Sibinger can count on the support of the citizens to take the place of the previous mayor. In Schrobenhausen, Andreas Wenger from the Schrobenhausen Voters' Community is running against the incumbent Harald Reisner from the Free Voters and five other challengers - a hot election campaign seems to be inevitable here.

Applicants and election procedures

But not everyone was able to overcome the hurdle of running for mayor in Neuburg. Michael Wittmair from the ÖDP and Sepp Egerer from the PARTEI did not collect enough signatures. This represents a significant setback to their political ambitions.

Also notable is the political landscape in the surrounding communities. In Aresing, in addition to the CSU and the Free Voters, the LGA is also up for election, while in Bergheim the newly founded BUA youth is running. In Burgheim, the Junge Union finds itself in competition with the CSU and the Free Voters. Things are also getting exciting in Ehekirchen: Here the Green Village District/The Greens alliance is running without any supporting signatures, which shows that the political constellations are diverse.

In Karlshuld, the Junge Union collected 183 signatures. In Oberhausen, too, the ÖDP is newly elected to the local council and in Rennertshofen the Junge Union has achieved 106 signatures. In Weichering, the Weichering/Lichtenau Citizens' Circle even exceeded the required signatures. As far as district council elections are concerned, voters can choose between, among others, the Junge Union, the ÖDP, the SWG and the PARTEI.

Legal basis and voting behavior

The legal requirements for local elections are clearly regulated. In accordance with Article 27 of the Municipal and District Election Act (GLKrWG), new parties or voter groups require supporter signatures if they were not already represented in the last city council. This legal framework ensures that the political landscape remains dynamic and new ideas can flow into local politics. Parties that received at least 5% of the vote in the last election can exempt themselves from the obligation to collect signatures.

Local elections in Germany are always characterized by local issues and allow voters to cast their vote directly and unadulterated. This is also reflected in the fact that voter turnout is on average lower than in state or federal elections. The Federal Agency for Civic Education highlights that a successful election often depends on the ability to address local issues and mobilize voters.

So the most exciting developments lie ahead as citizens prepare for the upcoming elections in March 2026. The political arena is lively and diverse – and it remains to be seen what changes the 2026 local elections will bring.