Bucharest’s District 6 mayor Ciprian Ciucu runs for general mayor, poll shows tight race

Bucharest’s District 6 mayor, Ciprian Ciucu, confirmed on Monday, October 27, that he will run for the position of general mayor of the capital city, saying the decision followed “long and careful reflection” on where he could make the greatest impact. His announcement came as a new Avangarde poll showed a close race for Bucharest’s top job, led by the mayors of districts 4 and 6.

The government has officially scheduled the election for Bucharest’s general mayor for Sunday, December 7. The capital city must choose a new mayor after Nicușor Dan’s election as president of Romania in May.

In a post on social media addressed to residents of his district, Ciprian Ciucu called his decision “a message of continuity, not farewell.”

“District 6 is more or less in order, now it’s time to focus on the whole of Bucharest,” he wrote. “I’m not leaving; I’m staying here in our city, just moving to another level.”

Ciucu said his campaign will center on improving public services, urban planning, and the overall quality of life in the capital, under the slogan Bucureștiul pus la punct (Getting Bucharest in order). He promised cleaner streets, better air, reliable heating and public transport, and stricter urban development standards.

“I’ll soon start drafting my program. No one writes it for me - I’ve always written my own programs, so I know exactly what I’m committing to. It will be concise, because I simply don’t have the time to write a detailed one,” Ciucu said.

According to an Avangarde survey conducted between October 19 and 25, District 4 mayor Daniel Băluță (PSD) leads with 25%, followed closely by Ciprian Ciucu (PNL) with 23%. They are followed by Cătălin Drulă (USR, 18%), Anca Alexandrescu (16%), and Cristian Popescu Piedone (8%), Digi24 reported.

The poll also found that 43% of Bucharest residents would vote if elections were held next Sunday, while 62% said local elections should be organized as soon as possible.

The survey, conducted by phone on a sample of 1,000 respondents, has a margin of error of ±3.2%.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos / Codrin Unici)