Greens sweep 11 of 13 runoff races in Lower Saxony; AfD shut out
On September 27, 2026, 123 runoff elections were held across Lower Saxony, Germany, for district administrators, mayors, and other local offices. The Green Party won 11 of the 13 runoffs they contested, including mayoralties in Hanover, Göttingen, and Lüneburg. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) lost all three runoffs it contested, failing to secure any top municipal office. The SPD and CDU saw mixed results, while independent candidates, including Jascha Rohr in Oldenburg, also won key races.
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Greens Triumph, AfD Loses in 123 Runoff Elections in Lower Saxony, Germany
On September 27, 2026, 123 runoff elections were held across Lower Saxony, Germany, for district administrators, mayors, and other local offices. The Green Party emerged as the clear winner, securing 11 of the 13 runoffs they contested, including victories in Hannover, Göttingen, Lüneburg, and the district of Osnabrück. Notably, Green candidates also won in smaller communities outside their traditional university-city strongholds, signaling broader local appeal. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) suffered a complete defeat: all three of its candidates who advanced to runoffs lost decisively, with one receiving only 25.3% in Salzgitter despite the party being the largest in the city council. The Social Democrats (SPD) and Christian Democrats (CDU) saw mixed results, with both parties winning some races but losing others. Independent candidates also played a significant role, exemplified by Jascha Rohr's narrow victory in Oldenburg with support from the Greens and CDU. The article notes that incumbency and name recognition were major factors, and that the results reflect a rejection of the AfD despite its earlier gains in council elections.
Read sourceGreen Party's Belit Onay Wins Re-election as Mayor of Hanover in Runoff Vote
Green Party incumbent Belit Onay won a decisive re-election as Mayor of Hanover on September 28, 2026, defeating SPD challenger Axel von der Ohe with 61.5% of the vote in the runoff election. The victory is seen by the Greens as a mandate for Onay's controversial plans to create a car-free or car-reduced city center. The election result ends the SPD's historical dominance in Hanover, which had held the mayor's office for 73 years before Onay's first victory in 2019. The article notes that the previous Green-SPD coalition in the city council collapsed largely over the inner-city plans, forcing Onay to govern without a majority against an informal alliance of SPD, FDP, and CDU. Following his defeat, von der Ohe stated he would return to his position as city treasurer and deputy mayor, a prospect that angers many Greens who blame him for the coalition's collapse. Meanwhile, in the broader Hanover region, SPD candidate Eva Bender won the regional presidency with 69.4%, suggesting the SPD's poor showing in the city may not reflect a broader rejection of the party.
Read sourceBelit Onay reelected in Hanover as Greens win mayoral races in Lower Saxony
In the September 27, 2026 runoff elections across several German cities, the Green party achieved significant victories. In Hanover, incumbent Mayor Belit Onay (Greens) secured a second eight-year term with 61.5% of the vote, defeating SPD challenger Axel von der Ohe (38.5%). Onay, first elected in 2019 as Hanover's first Green mayor, had led the first round with 45.6%. In Lüneburg, Green incumbent Claudia Kalisch narrowly won reelection with 52.9% against independent candidate Heiko Meyer (47.1%). Göttingen elected Green candidate Onyeka Oshionwu with 62.95%, succeeding SPD's Petra Broistedt. Oldenburg elected independent Jascha Rohr, supported by Greens and CDU, with 51.55% over SPD's Ulf Prange (48.45%). In Worms, CDU's Stephanie Lohr won with 53.0% against SPD's Timo Horst (47.0%), with turnout at 38.5%. The results reshape political constellations in several city halls across Lower Saxony and Rhineland-Palatinate.
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Green Party's Belit Onay Wins Runoff, Remains Mayor of Hanover; New Leaders Elected in Oldenburg and Worms
Several runoff elections on Sunday, September 27, 2026, reshaped local political leadership in German cities. In Hanover, incumbent Green Party Mayor Belit Onay secured a second eight-year term with 61.5% of the vote, defeating SPD challenger Axel von der Ohe, who received 38.5%. Onay, 45, the son of Turkish immigrants, first became mayor in 2019 as the first Green to lead the city. In Oldenburg, independent candidate Jascha Rohr, backed by the Greens and CDU, won with 51.55% against SPD candidate Ulf Prange (48.45%), succeeding outgoing SPD Mayor Jürgen Krogmann. In Worms, CDU candidate Stephanie Lohr won the mayoralty with 53.0% against SPD's Timo Horst (47.0%), with a voter turnout of 38.5%. In Lüneburg, Green incumbent Claudia Kalisch narrowly won reelection with 52.9% as an independent candidate, defeating Heiko Meyer of Die Unabhängigen.
Three Green Party candidates win mayoral elections in Lower Saxony; AfD fails to secure any post
In the September 27, 2026, local government runoffs in Lower Saxony, Germany, the Green Party achieved significant victories. Belit Onay, the incumbent Green mayor of Hannover, won re-election decisively with 61.5% of the vote against SPD candidate Axel von der Ohe (38.5%). Onay, who has governed since 2019, stated his campaign was motivated by a strong first-round result. The SPD's von der Ohe acknowledged the result as a clear mandate for a Green-Red coalition. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) contested three mayoral runoffs but lost all of them, failing to win its first top municipal office in the state. In Salzgitter, CDU incumbent Frank Klingebiel defeated AfD candidate Patricia Mair with 74.7%. In Munster, independent Anna Adamczak won with 80.48% against the AfD's Christoph Weynand. In Bockenem, independent Jens Lüer won with 69.6% against AfD candidate Felix Mull. Other notable results include Green candidate Onyeka Oshionwu winning the Göttingen mayoralty, Green incumbent Claudia Kalisch narrowly retaining Lüneburg, and CDU incumbent Katharina Pötter defending Osnabrück. The SPD retained Braunschweig, while independent Jascha Rohr, supported by the Greens and CDU, won in Oldenburg.
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