Lukas Reimann wins Wil city council seat in second round

SVP member of the Swiss National Council Lukas Reimann has been elected to the city council of Wil, SRF reported. He won 3,670 votes in the second round, defeating Green candidate Michael Sarbach, who received 3,201.

Reimann will take office on Monday, August 17. The consequences for his National Council mandate, which he has held for St Gallen since 2007, remain unclear.

Andreas Breitenmoser of the Centre party won the separate election for Wil’s city presidency. He defeated FDP candidate Jigme Shitsetsang in the second round and will succeed outgoing city president Hans Mäder of the Centre party.

Breitenmoser and Shitsetsang were already members of the city council, so a council seat was set to become vacant regardless of the outcome of the presidency election. Reimann stood for that seat against Sarbach.

Wil’s five-member city council now comprises two FDP members and one member each from the Centre party, the Social Democratic Party and the SVP.