Ulf Prange (SPD) holds a modest lead in the Oldenburg mayoral runoff market ahead of the September 27 vote against Jascha Rohr, the independent candidate backed by the Greens and CDU. The first-round results on September 13 left the two frontrunners separated by just 2.6 percentage points, with more than one-third of votes split among other contenders whose supporters will now decide the outcome. Key factors keeping the contest tight include overlapping priorities on housing, city-center revitalization, municipal finances, traffic, and public safety, plus Rohr’s cross-party appeal offsetting Prange’s established SPD base. Late shifts in turnout among first-round voters or endorsements from eliminated candidates could widen the gap before election day.