- After death: SPD renounces direct candidates
Following the sudden death of Thuringian SPD politician Thomas Hartung, his local party branch has decided not to field a new direct candidate in the Weimar II constituency. "The void left by Thomas is hard to fill. Therefore, our vote was unanimous not to nominate a new candidate or candidate for the subsequent nomination," the local branch announced.
By deliberately forgoing a direct candidacy, they are expressing their opposition to a by-election after September 1st. "A by-election could significantly impact the outcome of the state election and often involves heated election campaigns that, in our opinion, are not beneficial to the city of Weimar," the statement reads.
Hartung passed away on Tuesday. According to reports, the local branch discussed further proceedings on Wednesday and involved Hartung's family in the decision-making process. They aim to now run an engaged campaign focused on second votes.
The announcement highlighted that the void left by Thomas Hartung's deaths is challenging to fill, leading to the decision not to field a new direct candidate. With a unanimous vote, the local branch believes a by-election after September 1st could significantly impact the state election and disrupt the peaceful city of Weimar.
