CSU nomination: Clemens Baumgärtner wants to rule Munich!

CSU nomination: Clemens Baumgärtner wants to rule Munich!

The Munich CSU has found a new hope for the upcoming mayor elections. Clemens Baumgärtner, the former economic officer and Oktoberfest boss, was unanimously nominated for the party candidate for the local elections on March 8, 2026. With 98 percent of the vote, he received the clear trust of his delegates. This reports Wochenblatt .

The 48-year-old, who has been rooted in Munich since his birth, wants to assert himself from the SPD in the coming election against the acting mayor Dieter Reiter. Reiter, who has been in office since 2014 and is running for a third term, is among Baumgärtner’s strongest adversary. On his agenda there are central issues such as security, economy, transport, living and social issues, which he wants to explain in more detail in conversation with the citizens.

a versatile career

Baumgärtner is not only a lawyer, but also has a broad experience as a local politician. After many years as an independent lawyer, he was an economic officer for over six years, where he was able to bring important events such as the IAA to Munich. In 2022 he was also nominated as the top candidate for the upcoming local election, such as CSU Germany

his active Engagement in local politics dates back to the 90s when he became a member of the district committee 18 Untergiesing-Harlaching and held its chair from 2012 to 2020. There he successfully implemented remarkable projects such as the school enlargement of the elementary school on Rotbuchenstrasse.

a clear vision for the future

With new glasses that serve him as a trademark, Baumgärtner is modern and open. His advertising campaign adorns a logo with a large "B" and a stylized glasses motif that stands for his clear view of things. Josef Schmid, head of the OB campaign, emphasizes that Baumgärtner takes the concerns of the Munich very seriously and wants to find solutions that appeal to all citizens, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung .

During his listening tour, which begins in Sendling, he plans to get into conversation with the citizens. Its core concerns not only include economy and traffic, but also the unsolved housing problem that has been ignored in the past ten years. He criticizes that no new apartments were created by urban planning measures.

In order to achieve his goals, Baumgärtner wants to act pragmatically and plans to fully concentrate on the election campaign after his term as an economic officer. A temporary lifestyle of his savings could be necessary for him to get closer to his goal, to make the CSU the strongest force in the city council.

The election campaign promises to be exciting, because the CSU has recently overtaken the Greens and sees its main opponent in the existing government coalition of green-red. A clear focus on Munich-wide challenges, coupled with a strong candidacy, the CSU could open the door to the mayor's office again after the last time a CSU politician held this office from 1978 to 1984.