Andreas Bovenschulte (57) has been mayor of the Hanseatic city for four years. He is expected to defend his office for the first time in Sunday's election.
His eyes got wet and he said in a hushed voice: "I am deeply touched that my parents are here today" He named his daughters, his partner and also his ex-wife, who is also an SPD politician from Bremen. He was born in Hildesheim in 1965 and grew up in Elze before coming to B Remen to study law.