Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) - Expensive apartments, missing or dilapidated schools and disputes about future transport policy - in Frankfurt the election campaign for the post of mayor has entered its hot phase. The election will take place on March 5th. The main favorites are Uwe Becker (CDU), Mike Josef (SPD) and Manuela Rottmann (Greens). A total of 20 candidates stand for election, a record in the Main metropolis. If none of the candidates wins an absolute majority at the first attempt, there will be a run-off election on March 26th.
The election became necessary after the then incumbent Peter Feldmann (SPD) was voted out of office in a referendum in November. In December, Feldmann was sentenced to a fine for accepting an advantage in the workers' welfare (Awo) affair. The verdict is not yet legally binding. Since he was voted out, Feldmann's deputy, the Green politician Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg, has been in charge of business. The usual term of office for a Mayor in Frankfurt is six years.
