The paper highlights the challenges faced by managers in the public sector, such as bureaucracy, risk aversion, and rigid organizational structures. It emphasizes the importance of balancing exploitation and exploration to achieve innovation in municipalities. The research objectives center around understanding the maneuvering spaces created by politicians and senior managers in six municipalities and gaining a deeper understanding of innovation in these contexts. Through the analysis of the interviews, the paper reveals dissimilarities and similarities in behaviors and attitudes between senior managers and politicians in different municipalities. It specifically discusses how politicians' behaviors can hinder or enable exploration and influence the ability to deliver long-term sustainable outcomes. The findings contribute to the understanding of innovation management in municipalities by identifying factors that facilitate or constrain exploration. Overall, this research offers valuable insights into innovation management in the public sector, particularly within municipalities. It provides practical implications for practitioners aiming to foster innovation and highlights the importance of addressing challenges related to bureaucracy, risk aversion, and organizational structures to create an environment conducive to innovation.