Lithuanian parties prepare for 2025 municipal elections with incumbent mayors in focus

Lithuania’s parliamentary parties are gearing up for next spring’s municipal elections, each aiming to field candidates in all 60 municipalities and retain their current mayors, LRT reports.

Mindaugas Sinkevičius, leader of the Social Democrats and mayor of Jonava, will seek re-election, calling regional campaigns easier for his party. In Vilnius, conservative Mayor Valdas Benkunskas—whose potential candidacy remains unconfirmed—has drawn praise from his party for strong performance, with polls and public works cited as strengths.

“Naturally, where we have our mayors, we’d like them to continue,” said Gintarė Skaistė, election campaign chief for the conservative Homeland Union (TS-LKD). “Benkunskas looks strong, and we hope he’ll take on the responsibility again.”

Liberals, who backed an outsider in 2019, will now nominate a party member. “This time, we’re certain it will be a Liberal—our own candidate,” said Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, leader of the Liberal Movement’s parliamentary group.

In Kaunas, incumbent Mayor Visvaldas Matijošaitis will run for another term after winning outright in 2019. His dominance has left rivals struggling to find a viable challenger, according to Skaistė: “The competition is tough, so it’s not easy to find willing candidates.” Liberals and Social Democrats, however, claim strong contenders ready, including Audrius Radvilavičius for the latter.

Klaipėda will see Romas Karmazinas, a local sea captain, as the Farmers and Greens Union’s (LVŽS) nominee, replacing former candidate Ligita Girskienė, now leading the party’s election staff. “We have a strong candidate—a Klaipėda native,” she said.

The newcomer Nemuno aušra party, contesting its first municipal elections, plans to field candidates nationwide despite limited local branches. Party leader Tadas Sadauskis named potential mayoral candidates from its parliamentary ranks, including Lina Šukytė-Korsakė (Klaipėda), Daiva Žebelienė (Šilutė), and Kęstutis Bilius (Šiauliai).

All parties expressed confidence in their slates, with Lukas Savickas of the Vardan Lietuvos faction pledging a “serious candidate with a solid program.”

Municipal elections are scheduled for spring 2025.