Innsbruck Elects Georg Willi as Mayor in 2018
Former Mayor Christine Oppitz-Plörer Loses in Run-Off Election
Willi Wins with 52.91% of Votes
Innsbruck, Austria – Georg Willi has been elected as the new mayor of Innsbruck, Austria, after winning a run-off election on May 22, 2018, with 52.91% of the votes. Willi, a member of the Green Party, defeated incumbent mayor Christine Oppitz-Plörer of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), who received 47.09% of the votes.
The election was held to fill the position of mayor, which has a term of six years. The last municipal election in Innsbruck was held in 2012.
Oppitz-Plörer had been the mayor of Innsbruck since 2002 and was seeking a fifth term. Willi, a former city councilor, was the sole candidate from the Green Party. The run-off election was necessary after no candidate received a majority of the votes in the first round of voting on April 22. In that election, Willi received 44.8% of the votes, while Oppitz-Plörer received 37.9%.
The voter turnout in the run-off election was 48.5%, including mail-in ballots. The election was considered to be a close race, with both candidates receiving significant support.
Willi's victory represents a change in political leadership for Innsbruck. The Green Party has traditionally been a strong force in Austrian politics, but it is the first time that the party has won the mayor's office in Innsbruck.
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