2021 Kolding municipal election

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2021 Kolding municipal election
 201716 November 2021 2025  

All 25 seats to the Kolding Municipal Council
13 seats needed for a majority
Turnout50,617 (69.1%)
Decrease2.svg 2.8pp
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
V
A
F
Party Venstre Social Democrats Green Left
Last election13 seats, 46.4%5 seats, 19.5%2 seats, 7.1%
Seats won954
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 40Increase2.svg 2
Popular vote15,8258,8188,613
Percentage31.8%17.7%17.3%
SwingDecrease2.svg 14.6%Decrease2.svg 1.8%Increase2.svg 10.2%

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
 
C
O
B
Party Conservatives Danish People's Party Social Liberals
Last election0 seats, 3.3%3 seats, 11.1%1 seat, 4.5%
Seats won322
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 3Decrease2.svg 1Increase2.svg 1
Popular vote5,2433,7993,185
Percentage10.5%7.6%6.4%
SwingIncrease2.svg 7.2%Decrease2.svg 3.5%Increase2.svg 1.9%

 Seventh party
 
Ø
Party Red–Green Alliance
Last election1 seat, 3.1%
Seats won0
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 1
Popular vote1,460
Percentage2.9%
SwingDecrease2.svg 0.2%

Mayor before election

Jørn Pedersen
Venstre

Mayor after election

Knud Erik Langhoff
Conservatives

Since the 2007 municipal reform, Venstre had won the mayor position following all three elections in Kolding Municipality. In the 2017 Kolding municipal election, they would win 13 of the 25 seats, which equalled an absolute majority. Jørn Pedersen, who was mayor from 2010 to 2021, would announce his intention not to stand for a fourth term prior to the election. [1] Instead, in October 2020, it would be confirmed that Eva Kjer Hansen would be the mayor candidate, Venstre would put forward for this election. [2]

Contents

On the opposite side of the political spectrum, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Villy Søvndal, would be the top candidate for the Green Left. . [3] Villy Søvndal had led the Green Left to their best result in the party's history in 2007. Apart from that, he had led the Green Left to 6 seats in the 2017 Southern Denmark regional council election, an increase of 4 seats compared to their result in 2013. Therefore, it was speculated that he could challenge Venstre for the mayor position. [4]

Despite Venstre losing 4 seats, they became the biggest party and a majority between the traditional blue bloc indiciated that Eva Kjer Hansen would become the new mayor. [5] However, in a dramatic turnaround, outsider Knud Erik Langhoff from the Conservatives would end up having a majority supporting him. Untradtionally, three red bloc parties, Social Democrats, the Social Liberals and Green Left would support centre-right Conservatives taking the mayor position. [6]

This would mark the first time since the 2007 municipal reform, that a municipality in the South Jutland constituency would have a mayor from the Conservatives. It was one of three municipalities in the constituency where the Conservatives had mayor's elected in the 2021, and it was seen as a big success for the Conservatives, who had have trouble winning mayor positions outside Greater Copenhagen and North Zealand in recent elections. [7]

Electoral system

For elections to Danish municipalities, a number varying from 9 to 31 are chosen to be elected to the municipal council. The seats are then allocated using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation. Kolding Municipality had 25 seats in 2021

Unlike in Danish General Elections, in elections to municipal councils, electoral alliances are allowed.

Electoral alliances

Source [8]

Electoral Alliance 1

PartyPolitical alignment
A Social Democrats Centre-left
F Green Left Centre-left to Left-wing

Electoral Alliance 2

PartyPolitical alignment
C Conservatives Centre-right
D New Right Right-wing to Far-right
K Christian Democrats Centre to Centre-right

Electoral Alliance 3

PartyPolitical alignment
I Liberal Alliance Centre-right to Right-wing
O Danish People's Party Right-wing to Far-right
V Venstre Centre-right

Electoral Alliance 4

PartyPolitical alignment
B Social Liberals Centre to Centre-left
Y Kryds for Kolding Local politics
Ø Red–Green Alliance Left-wing to Far-Left

Results by polling station

Y = Kryds for Kolding

Division A B C D F I K O V Y Ø
%%%%%%%%%%%
Centrum Nord 16.88.411.62.920.22.10.35.425.80.65.9
Nordbyen 24.47.65.82.327.71.40.36.318.40.85.0
Vestbyen 24.87.87.62.321.21.30.78.221.40.64.1
Strandhuse/Nr. Bjert/ Eltang 13.07.216.22.514.11.60.45.038.00.41.7
Bramdrupdam 17.26.810.03.218.01.50.26.035.30.21.6
Alminde-Viuf/Vester Nebel 13.73.85.92.511.01.00.36.353.70.11.6
Lunderskov/Jordrup 14.26.88.33.314.51.00.65.344.00.31.7
Centrum Syd 21.47.17.23.021.22.11.111.219.90.95.0
Sydbyen 17.18.310.82.620.72.41.27.024.50.45.1
Seest 19.45.110.22.317.61.52.98.030.30.42.4
Dalby/Tved/Rebæk 14.55.312.92.215.61.80.55.639.60.41.5
S Bjert/S Stenderup/Vejstrup 13.19.012.82.923.51.70.16.126.80.33.9
Vonsild 23.04.28.83.215.63.31.17.331.90.21.4
Vamdrup/Hjarup/Ødis 24.43.814.43.810.91.20.76.433.20.11.2
Chr.Feld/Stepping/Taps/Hejls 14.34.08.84.712.61.41.220.031.40.11.7

Results

PartyVotes%+/-Seats+/-
Kolding Municipality
V Venstre 15,82531.78-14.669-4
A Social Democrats 8,81817.71-1.7750
F Green Left 8,61317.30+10.194+2
C Conservatives 5,24310.53+7.263+3
O Danish People's Party 3,7997.63-3.492-1
B Social Liberals 3,1856.40+1.912+1
Ø Red-Green Alliance 1,4602.93-0.140-1
D New Right 1,4502.91+1.9500
I Liberal Alliance 8241.65-0.3100
K Christian Democrats 3950.79+0.1700
Y Kryds for Kolding 1830.37New0New
Total49,795100N/A25N/A
Invalid votes1940.26+0.12
Blank votes6280.86+0.18
Turnout50,61769.09-2.78
Source: valg.dk

Notes

    References

    1. "Efter 12 år i spidsen går Jørn P. af: Her er hans sværeste dilemma som borgmester | Nyheder". ugeavisen (in Danish). 11 November 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
    2. "Tæt kampvalg gør Eva Kjer til borgmesterkandidat i Kolding | Nyheder". herningfolkebladet (in Danish). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
    3. "Villy Søvndal er ny spidskandidat i Kolding | Nyheder". altinget (in Danish). 7 April 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
    4. "Her er de 10 største gysere ved kommunalvalget | Nyheder". tv2.dk (in Danish). 10 November 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
    5. "Skuffet Eva Kjer ville ikke tale med TV 2, da valgnederlaget stod klart | Nyheder". tv2 (in Danish). 17 November 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
    6. "Ny borgmester fundet i Kolding | Nyheder". jyllandsposten (in Danish). 17 November 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
    7. "Konservative når delmål med borgmestre vest for Storebælt | Nyheder". berlingske (in Danish). 17 November 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
    8. "Valgene til kommunalbestyrelser og regionsråd den 16. november 2021 | Nyheder" (PDF). dst (in Danish). Retrieved 9 June 2025.