In Brøndby Municipality, there has been a significant shift in the mayor’s post, where Maja Højgaard (Social Democrats) has been elected as the new mayor after Kent Magelund, who has held the position for eight years. Maja Højgaard, who until now has served as 1st deputy mayor, was elected by her party colleagues on Wednesday evening and will officially take over the role on May 31st. Kent Magelund announced his departure and retirement on Facebook, where he also praised the democratic process that led to Højgaard’s election: “As many have probably seen, there have been three candidates in our group who wanted to become mayor. We have had a good democratic process within the group. Therefore, we all support Maja Højgaard,” he wrote.
The final decision on the new mayor will be made in the municipal council on May 22nd, where a majority has already expressed their support for Højgaard. The Social Democrats have a strong representation in the municipal council with 11 out of 19 seats. Kent Magelund, who is 72 years old, has been part of the municipal council since 2009 and took over the mayor’s post in 2016 after Ib Terp (Social Democrats), who had to step down due to illness. Magelund, a former teacher, became mayor without formal training from his predecessor. Maja Højgaard brings a different background to the mayor’s office as a trained doctor. She has described herself as a deputy mayor and “doctor in my spare time,” and according to Magelund, she has proven to be a dedicated and competent politician through their collaboration in the municipal council.
Højgaard was chosen over her fellow candidates Anette Pilmark (Social Democrats) and Michael Buch-Barnes (Social Democrats), making her Brøndby Municipality’s sixth mayor and the first woman in this role.