The Košice mayoral race on 24 October remains exceptionally close, with incumbent Jaroslav Polaček and challenger Ladislav Lörinc trading narrow leads in recent polling and betting markets. Polaček benefits from incumbency advantages, a broad centre-right coalition endorsement, and backing from 16 borough mayors, alongside visible infrastructure projects funded by EU sources. Lörinc, the Košická strana candidate and borough mayor, appeals to voters prioritizing local management changes, transport, parking, and city company operations. Lower-polling contenders such as Lenka Kovačevičová and Martin Mudrák split remaining support without clear consolidation. The large pool of undecided voters and absence of a dominant issue surge keep probabilities tightly matched; the 2 October candidate debate and late campaign momentum on core municipal concerns could widen the gap before election day.