Overview

• AfD candidates face SPD or CDU rivals in Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen and Hagen after qualifying for the second round.
• Cologne, Dortmund and Düsseldorf also hold mayoral runoffs, with the Greens seeking breakthroughs in Cologne and Münster as Düsseldorf’s CDU incumbent defends his post.
• SPD and CDU leaders have urged supporters to back each other’s nominees where needed to keep AfD contenders from top municipal offices.
• Postal voting is running high, with Bottrop reporting about 20,600 runoff ballot requests by midweek, already above the first‑round total.
• Local dynamics could prove decisive: Moers features Julia Zupancic (CDU) vs. Mark Rosendahl (SPD) after a 46.8%–32.3% opener and Bergkamen pits incumbent Bernd Schäfer (SPD) against Thomas Heinzel (CDU) after 36.4%–30.6% results.