In Munich, Dominik Krause, a 35-year-old candidate from Alliance 90/The Greens, won the mayoral runoff election Sunday, defeating incumbent Dieter Reiter with 56.4 percent of the vote to 43.6 percent.

The result marks a significant political shift in Germany’s third-largest city, which had been governed almost continuously by the Social Democratic Party of Germany since 1948, aside from a brief interruption between 1978 and 1984. Krause, currently serving as deputy mayor, is set to take office on May 1, 2026.

Reiter, 67, who has led Munich since 2014, conceded defeat before final results were fully counted and announced his retirement from politics. He took responsibility for the loss, calling his time in office “an honour.”

The race shifted in the final stretch following controversy over undisclosed payments Reiter received from Bayern Munich for a role on an advisory board that lacked city council approval. Reiter stepped down from that position shortly before the runoff amid mounting criticism.

In the first round of voting on March 8, Reiter had led with 35.6 percent compared to Krause’s 29.5 percent, but momentum shifted as the campaign progressed.

Krause celebrated the victory, thanking voters and pledging to address key issues facing Munich, particularly the city’s housing shortage and rising costs of living. The city, home to major corporations such as BMW, Siemens, and Allianz, has faced increasing pressure from rapid economic growth and high demand for housing.

The outcome also dealt a broader setback to the SPD, which suffered additional losses in regional elections elsewhere in Germany the same day.

Krause, a Munich native born in 1990, represents a younger generation of leadership and becomes the city’s first openly gay mayor, signaling a notable political and cultural shift in one of Germany’s most prominent urban centers.