Berlin's governing mayor Kai Wegner has pulled out of the state election race scheduled for 20 September 2026, announcing on 10 July that he will not seek a second term but intends to remain in office until the vote.
The decision follows months of criticism over Wegner's handling of a major blackout on 3 January that left roughly 100,000 residents without power and heating in freezing temperatures. He initially asserted that he had coordinated the response by phone, but it later emerged that he had sent only a few text messages. An open letter from the CDU's youth wing and party members called on him to step aside, while polls now place the CDU at 17 percent in fourth place behind the Left, Greens and AfD.
The party plans to nominate Finance Senator Stefan Evers as its new lead candidate, with the state executive meeting to formalise the choice. By staying until the election rather than resigning, Wegner is entitled to a transition payment of roughly 235,764 euros under Berlin's senator law.