Dietmar Gruchmann (SPD) and Jürgen Ascherl (CSU) will meet in the runoff election in Garching on Sunday. Both candidates have to do without the support of the other city council groups.
Garching - red or black? This is the crucial question next Sunday in the runoff election in Garching. Will Dietmar Gruchmann (SPD) remain in office for another six years? Or can challenger Jürgen Ascherl (CSU) successfully defy him? Neither can rely on the election recommendations of the other city council parties.
The cushion of around 900 votes should make Gruchmann confident. After the first round it was 2877 to 1975 for him, the four remaining applicants had to give up. "41 percent with five opposing candidates is an encouraging signal," says Gruchmann.
"Knowledge and experience - that's what the city needs so much right now"
He has been closely associated with Garching for 30 years. Peu à peu, the desire had matured to "contribute more and above all personally to the development of our city". In 18 years of work as a city councilor, the office of third mayor and now six years as first mayor, he has moved a lot and got things going. "In times of the Corona crisis, I can contribute my knowledge, my networking and my political experience as a guarantee for continuity and stability," says Gruchmann: "This is what the city needs so much right now."
Even though the future appointment of the committee to six parties was not an easy constellation, Garching had an experienced chairman in his session, "a mayor who does not pursue a rigid party policy, but who non-partisanly ensures a broad consensus in the committee". For Garching, he would also like to continue to be the mayor "who holds the community together".
"Nothing has changed in my election goals"
The election result clearly shows that while 41 percent of Garching's citizens want Gruchmann as mayor, the city council prefers the CSU (28.5 percent) over the SPD (24 percent). For Ascherl a clear sign "with realistic chances", after all the job appeals to him more. "My administrative studies qualify me very well for this." Due to the corona crisis, the election campaign was limited to "posting on social channels". "Nothing has changed in my election goals and voters already know them." He declined to agree with the other parties, "I want to work on a topic-based basis."
Gruchmann or Ascherl meanwhile both need support from the “camps” of the Greens, the third strongest faction, the Independent Garchingers and also the citizens of Garching (BfG). However, none of the groupings want to commit themselves. The Greens are neutral, because in a conversation initiated by the SPD they signaled that they are interested in improved cooperation. The crux of the matter was a new climate protection manager or coordinator, the SPD made no commitment here. According to Harald Grünwald, the independent Garchingers (14.7 percent) can do "with one as well as with the other". He rejects any coalitions that have been closed in advance: "In local politics, arguments have to be worked with." The BfG sees it similarly, "We limit ourselves to material work and decisions in the interests of the city," emphasizes the local director Harry Kirchner.
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