Overview

• Preliminary tallies reported by WDR put Kontalis at roughly 0.9% of the vote, placing him ninth out of nine candidates.
• Incumbent SPD mayor Felix Wolfgang Heinrichs led with about 43.3% in early counts, with official confirmation expected after initial tallies.
• Kontalis called the outcome an honor and said he felt fine, telling RTL he plans to remain politically active despite the defeat.
• His campaign centered on Instagram reach and eye-catching pledges such as free Saturday public transit and negotiating fair döner prices, and he posted a celebratory tequila video before polls closed.
• Reality-TV figures including Laura Maria Lettgen mocked the result on Instagram, while separate reports noted Kontalis said he is currently dating influencer Yonca.