Kazlų Rūda mayor Varaška to seek another term in 2027

Kazlų Rūda Mayor Mantas Varaška will run in next year’s municipal elections, saying it will be his final bid for the office, LRT reported.

Varaška announced his decision on Facebook on Tuesday. He said he and his political committee had plans to improve residents’ wellbeing, which he would publish soon. He added that he was prepared to continue if voters backed him, or pursue other plans if they did not.

He said he had weighed whether he could use new, substantial funding for training grounds to improve residents’ wellbeing, maintain municipal services and sustain ties with local communities. He also acknowledged that not all of his previous promises had been fulfilled and that some projects were delayed or unsuccessful.

Varaška has been mayor since 2019. He said he had made mistakes and sometimes hurt people when making wider decisions, but had not improperly enriched himself at residents’ expense.

Nearly 72% of voters backed him in the first round of the 2023 mayoral election. That year, he also announced a run in the 2024 presidential election, but later withdrew.

The next municipal council and mayoral elections are scheduled for March 7, 2027. Under rules introduced from the 2023 elections, a person who has served three consecutive terms as mayor cannot be elected to a fourth consecutive term.