Hesse: Frankfurt OB election: "Bahnbabo" speaks out for Josef

Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) - The tram driver Peter Wirth, known as "Bahnbabo", who came fourth in the first round of the Frankfurt mayoral election, is now supporting the SPD candidate Mike Josef.

Hesse: Frankfurt OB election: "Bahnbabo" speaks out for Josef

Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) - The tram driver Peter Wirth, known as "Bahnbabo", who came fourth in the first round of the Frankfurt mayoral election, is now supporting the SPD candidate Mike Josef. "I'll definitely position myself and it won't be Uwe Becker," said the 61-year-old on Monday in Frankfurt.

There are more intersections with Josef, for example in the area of ​​​​transport or social affairs, he explained. In addition, the younger generation must be encouraged: "There are so many young people who are on the siding, who drive directly towards the buffer stop, and that's a very bad thing." These should no longer be suspended.

In the race for the mayor post on Sunday, no one had received the required absolute majority. According to the provisional result, Uwe Becker (CDU) received the most votes with 34.5 percent, followed by Mike Josef (SPD) with 24.0 percent. The two will now meet in a runoff election on March 26th.

The Greens said on Monday that they would still discuss "whether and in what form we call for support of a candidate". Her candidate, Manuela Rottmann, only came third with 21.3 percent. That was the best result for the Greens so far in a mayoral election in Frankfurt. But in the last local elections, the party emerged as the strongest force. "In the next few days we will analyze the election campaign and the result and exchange ideas with the parliamentary group, magistrate and our members so that we can start the state election campaign stronger," it said.

With a total of 20 candidates, more took part this time than ever before in the Main metropolis. There were also independent candidates, including the tram driver Wirth, known under the name "Bahnbabo". He ended up in fourth place with 5.1 percent, well ahead of the left, FDP and AfD.

The previous SPD incumbent Peter Feldmann was voted out in November in a procedure unprecedented for Frankfurt. Feldmann had lost confidence because of the affair about the workers' welfare (Awo) and various slip-ups.