- A SPD political figure aims to assume office, despite grappling with illness.
Amidst his cancer diagnosis, Matthias Hey, a Thuringian SPD politician, will still be part of the upcoming Thuringian state parliament. "Yep, I'll accept the mandate," Hey told the German Press Agency. However, he has no intention of reclaiming the role of SPD faction leader due to health concerns. "Nope, I won't be chasing that position again," he stated.
Hey has represented the SPD in the state parliament since 2009, most recently serving as the SPD faction leader. Previously, he had consistently secured his mandate directly in the Gotha II electoral district during state elections. However, this time around, he narrowly missed the top spot to the local AfD candidate, Stephan Steinbrück. Hey garnered 8,295 votes, while Steinbrück managed to secure 8,322. Despite this setback, Hey's third position on the SPD's state election list allows him to join the parliament.
There were widespread rumors suggesting his death
The fact that he failed to secure a direct mandate this time around stings for Hey and the Social Democrats in Gotha, "But it's not helpful, that's just the way it is," Hey said. He is convinced that the false death rumors peddled about him during the election campaign cost him a significant number of votes.
The false narrative about his impending demise began circulating on social media several weeks prior to the election, effectively discouraging potential voters from casting their votes in his favor. Hey had publicly disclosed his cancer diagnosis several months prior.
Despite the false death rumors affecting his election, Matthias Hey still managed to obtain a seat in the state parliament due to his third position on the SPD's state election list. Regardless of the setback, Hey stated that he believes the misconceptions about his mortality significantly impacted his mandate in the Gotha II district.
