Benkunskas seeks second term as Vilnius mayor

Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas will run for a second term in the 2027 election, LRT reported on Thursday.

“Yes, I am putting forward my candidacy for Vilnius mayor. Yes, progress is measured by results, and the work I have done gives me confidence to ask for responsibility for our city for another four years,” he said.

Benkunskas announced his decision at a meeting with party colleagues, friends and well-known Vilnius residents at the Energy and Technology Museum. They discussed changes in the capital, work completed and the city’s future vision.

Other potential candidates include Simonas Gentvilas, nominated by the Liberal Movement; Vilnius Deputy Mayor and Freedom Party chair Vytautas Mitalas; and National Alliance leader Vytautas Sinica. Independent Artūras Zuokas has also announced his bid and plans to establish a new committee called “Vilnius Can”.

Vilnius City Council member Aleksandras Nemunaitis is also among the candidates. The Union of the People and Justice has nominated journalist and former television presenter Kristupas Krivickas. The non-parliamentary Lithuanian Regions Party has put forward Violeta Fominienė-Salemonė, founder of the “For Salininkai” community and a representative of the Children’s Eldership in Naujininkai.

Municipal council and mayoral elections will be held on March 7, 2027.