Wiesbaden agrees: Who will be the next mayor?

Wiesbaden agrees: Who will be the next mayor?

The mayor election in Wiesbaden is just around the corner. On March 9, 2025, the citizens entitled to vote will be called to the urns. A total of 208,758 eligible voters are registered in Wiesbaden, who can vote in 163 electoral districts and 84 postal voting districts. The demand for postal voting documents has already increased significantly. By February 21, 2025, 44,357 documents were issued, which was almost doubled compared to the last OB election in 2019 (23,787 documents). In this election, the turnout was 53.5 percent, a value that could also be relevant again in 2025. FFH reports that every reason is to observe the turnout.

As in every choice, there are numerous candidates in Wiesbaden who compete for the office of mayor. With ten candidates, including nine men and a woman, the presidium of election is diverse. The incumbent mayor Gert-Uwe Mende from the SPD is aiming for re-election and would like to continue his projects for social housing and the Rheinhöhe sports park. hessenschau informs that mende has to adapt to a variety of challengers.

The candidates at a glance

The list of candidates reads as follows:

• Thilo von Debschitz (independent, supported by the CDU and FDP) - 58 years, head of an agency for strategy and design. Focus: bus system, construction site coordination, district "Ostfeld".
• Gesine Bonnet (Greens) - 55 years, independent editor and author. Focus: pedestrian and cyclist friendliness, project "Schwalbacher Strasse".
• Gert-Uwe Mende (SPD)-62 years, reigning mayor. Focus: social housing, Rheinhöhe Sportpark.
• Ralf Offermanns (AfD) - 58 years, IT specialist and city councilor. Focus: security, cleanliness, leisure opportunities for young people.
• Ingo von Seemen (left) - 38 years, group leader of the left. Focus: support of disadvantaged groups, affordable apartments.
• Christian Hill (initiative per car) - 56 years, merchant. Focus: needs of drivers, construction site management, security.
• Lukas Haker (the party)-25 years, already OB candidate in Mainz. Focus: subway network, "stoner paradise" on Alsatian space.
• Elmar Krebber (ULW) - architect, active in the Mitte local advisory board. Focus: inner city design for cyclists and pedestrians, city tolls, free buses and trains.
• Andreas Gutzeit (FWG) - candidate of the Free Voter Community. Focus: traffic, local economy, tourism, security.
• Matthias needy (free voters) - 61 years, moving entrepreneur. Focus: security, cleanliness, reduction in parking fees, improvement in schools.

An exciting election race that is characterized by the variety of topics and multifaceted approaches. hessenschau indicates that may even be necessary on March 30, 2025 if none of the candidates could be the majority reached.

Wiesbaden is preparing for a choice that is of crucial importance for both the city and the citizens. The large number of candidates and their different priorities promise an intensive election campaign in the coming weeks.