Martin's masterpiece: First Green mayor in Würzburg triumphs with 65%!

Martin's masterpiece: First Green mayor in Würzburg triumphs with 65%!

Martin Heilig made history on May 19, 2025 by becoming the first Green to take over the town hall of a major Bavarian city, Würzburg. The 49-year-old candidate prevailed in the runoff with an impressive 65 percent of the vote. His historic success was recognized by Katharina Schulze, leader of the Bavarian Green Party, who described Heilig's victory as a significant step for the party in Bavaria.

The local elections in Bavaria are coming up next March, and the Greens have high hopes for further success. In Würzburg, the Greens have had the largest city council group since 2020 and have thus been able to build a stable political base. This can also be seen in the past elections: Patrick Friedl won a direct mandate in 2018, which was taken back by Andrea Behr (CSU) in 2023. Würzburg is considered a particularly favorable location for green engagement, as the party traditionally performs better in large cities.

Election campaign and issues

Martin Heilig positioned himself as a “non-partisan” candidate during his election campaign. He decided to forgo party logos and choose a transport concept for the city center as the central election issue. In addition, climate policy was a crucial topic, especially since Würzburg is increasingly affected by the effects of climate change. Heilig was aware that his victory was not only due to his party affiliation, but also to concrete solutions to the city's challenges.

Another aspect of the election campaign was the public critical debate with the CSU candidate Judith Roth-Jörg. An internal email caused a stir because it questioned Heilig's behavior. Although no wrongdoing could be proven, Roth-Jörg received both support and strong criticism for her comments regarding the reporting of this incident.

Participation and outlook

Voter turnout was 47.4 percent, which is below the federal election figure of 83.7 percent, indicating a certain lack of interest in local issues. Nevertheless, the success of Martin Heilig and the Greens is a signal for the coming local elections, and the party should start the next election year with new vigor, in which it hopes for a continuation of the upward trend.

Heilig's success in Würzburg is exemplary, as the Greens in Bavaria have so far been unable to conquer town halls in large university cities. This decision is part of a national trend in which the Greens have already won town halls in major cities in other federal states such as Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. For Heilig and the Bavarian Greens, this victory opens up a new opportunity to help shape the political landscape in Bavaria.

For more detailed information on Martin Heilig's election and the background, see BR as well as South Germans referred.