Social Democrat Maximilian Bieri Wins Hanau Runoff Election with 59.4% of Vote

Maximilian Bieri, a 35-year-old Social Democrat and current mayor of Hanau, won the runoff election for Lord Mayor of the city on March 29, 2026, defeating CDU candidate Isabelle Hemsley with 59.4 (%) — Bieri's share of the runoff vote of the vote to Hemsley's 40.6 percent, according to preliminary results. Bieri, who holds a doctorate in mathematics and carries both German and Swiss citizenship, will take over the top post at Hanau's city hall in the autumn, succeeding long-serving Lord Mayor Claus Kaminsky, who is stepping down early on September 30, 2026. The result confirmed Bieri as the clear frontrunner after he had already led the first round two weeks earlier with 48.1 percent, narrowly missing an outright majority by the smallest possible margin.

Claus Kaminsky has led Hanau as Lord Mayor since 2003, making him Hesse's longest-serving mayor at the time of his departure. Hanau is a city of nearly 98,000 residents in the Darmstadt administrative district of Hesse and is classified as one of the state's ten regional centers. Bieri first entered the Hanau city council in 2019 and became chairman of the SPD parliamentary group a year later before joining the magistrate as mayor in January 2023.

Turnout fell sharply from first round to runoff Voter turnout in the runoff dropped to 36.3 percent, down from 46.3 percent in the first round held two weeks earlier. Despite the lower participation, Bieri's margin of victory was decisive, with nearly 19 percentage points separating the two candidates. Hemsley, a 36-year-old city councilor who has sat on the executive committee alongside Bieri since 2023, ran an energetic final campaign sprint but was unable to close the gap. Both candidates grew up in Hanau and belong to the same generation of local politicians, and sources described the campaign between them as fair and respectful. Kaminsky, while endorsing Bieri as his preferred successor, publicly stated he was "not against Isabelle Hemsley," underscoring the collegial tone of the race.

„The Lord Mayor is not a little king, but a great servant. And this great servant I will be from autumn of this year. That is my promise to you, to all of you.” — Maximilian Bieri via N-tv

Hanau mayoral election 2026 — round by round: Bieri vote share (before: 48.1% (first round), after: 59.4% (runoff)); Voter turnout (before: 46.3% (first round), after: 36.3% (runoff))

Mathematician turned politician championed housing and education Bieri studied mathematics at Goethe University Frankfurt and earned his doctorate there before entering politics through the SPD. As mayor since January 2023, he has held responsibility for education, social affairs, democracy and diversity, and the city's real estate management. During the election campaign, he focused on three core themes: more affordable housing, equal educational opportunities, and sound budget management. He also built a reputation as a numbers-driven administrator by leading Hanau's legal challenge against the results of the 2022 federal census, disputing the population figure determined by the Hessian State Statistical Office — a figure with direct financial consequences for the city, since state funding allocations are partly tied to official resident counts. Bieri described his political identity as that of a bridge-builder, saying of his home district of Steinheim: "Here, togetherness counts."

Daycare phone ban brought Bieri national attention in 2024 One initiative from Bieri's department drew attention well beyond Hanau's city limits. In 2024, the city introduced a ban on mobile phones in municipal daycare centers, a step that sparked nationwide discussion about screen time and early childhood development. The measure reinforced Bieri's profile as a pragmatic administrator willing to take unconventional positions on social policy. Kaminsky, who has led the city for more than two decades, actively campaigned for Bieri as his chosen successor, lending the younger politician the weight of his long institutional standing. Bieri, born on September 18, 1990 in Frankfurt and raised in Hanau's Steinheim district, is set to formally assume the Lord Mayor's office when Kaminsky steps down on September 30, 2026.

„Hanau is my home. This is where I want to shape, listen, connect.” — Maximilian Bieri via N-tv