Thuringia election results: CDU leading in popular support.
Thuringia has made a decision. The overall number of voters is lower than it was five years ago. The CDU is currently riding a wave of success, securing top spots in large cities. In contrast, the AfD typically lags behind, while the Left Party is facing a bleak future, and a right-wing extremist can celebrate.
Thuringia has been preoccupied with a significant election season for the past three months leading up to its state parliamentary election. Over 1.7 million people were asked to choose local representatives and top executives. The municipal election serves as an important barometer, especially for the performance of the AfD, which is considered right-wing extremist by the state constitution protection, and its leader, Björn Höcke. In the Thuringian municipal election, a newcomer, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), is campaigning to gain a seat in the fall legislature. The anticipation for the results is high, as the polling stations closed at 6 pm, the election server at the Statistical State Office crashed for a few minutes around 10 pm.
The crowds were significant at 6 pm, and those in line at that time could still cast their votes in some precincts. The "Thuringian General Newspaper" reported earlier on long lines and missing ballots in Jena. There, more voting booths had to be brought in, particularly in larger districts. "In Winzerla, the demand was so high that we had to deliver ballot papers," said the local district election officer Matthias Bettenhauser. Similarly, in Jena city center, ballot papers had to be delivered as well.
By 4 pm, the voter turnout was only 46.2% according to the "Leipzig People's Newspaper" (LVZ). That's slightly lower than at the same time in the municipal and European elections in 2019 (48.5%). Earlier, it was predicted that the voter turnout would be higher than five years ago. Around 30,000 election workers have been mobilized and will be counting the votes in the coming hours.
CDU dominates in Suhl's town hall race
The first mayor has already been announced: In the community of Altenbeuthen, part of the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district, all votes were counted by about 8:30 pm, according to the MDR. 75.5% went to the independent candidate Lothar Linke, while Wolfram Henrik from the CDU received 24.5%.
In the state capital Erfurt, CDU candidate Andreas Horn is outfront and leading with 27.5% of the votes counted so far. The SPD's Andreas Bausewein is trailing behind with 22.2%. Stefan Möller, the AfD's candidate, is in third place with 18.9%.
Counting is progressing smoothly in the city of Suhl, population 37,000. At 6:35 pm, 18 of the 40 electoral districts had already been counted. CDU candidate André Knapp seems assured of a new term as mayor, holding 82.2% of the votes. The left candidate Steffen Hartwig comes in second with 17.8%.
In Weimar, the counting was swift. The incumbent Peter Kleine, a CDU member, will move back into the town hall. Kleine had a clear lead with over 70% of votes even before the mail-in ballots were counted, and he was unbeatable from early on in the race. Stefan Giebel from the Left is currently in second place with around 10% of votes. No AfD candidate participated in the city race.
The Left Party is not faring well in general, but there is a bright spot for them in the mayoral race in Sömmerda. Incumbent Ralf Hauboldt earned 42.1% of votes, while Bastian Wulf from the CDU received 28.7%. Both candidates are likely headed for a runoff as AfD candidate Michael Bellstedt only received 23.3% of the votes.
The AfD faces challenges overall. However, they can be pleased with their performance in the Ilm-Kreis county election. Olympic bobsledder André Lange is potentially in a runoff against the incumbent Petra Enders. Lange, nominated by the CDU as an independent, has 23.2% of the votes after 43 out of 136 electoral districts have been counted and is currently in third place. AfD candidate Ralf Gohritz has 26.4% of the votes and is in second place. Enders, however, is ahead with 45.2% of votes.
Please note: All these figures and outcomes could be subject to change as counting continues.
There's been some interesting developments in the recent local elections. In Kyffhäuserkreis, the AfD is having a tough time. As per MDR, 67 out of 119 polling districts have been counted. The SPD candidate, Antje Hochwind-Schneider, is in the lead with 44.2% of the votes. The AfD candidate, Andreas Hartung-Schettler, trails behind with 35.2%, while CDU's Sven Osterheld follows with 20.5%. The turnout was 54.9%.
Similarly, in Altenburger Land, the AfD has taken the lead. 60 out of 104 polling districts have been counted, and Heiko Philipp leads with 45.2% of the votes. Uwe Melzer from the CDU has 39.5%, and Left candidate Frank Tempel has 14.5%.
In Hildburghausen district, there's a potential right-wing extremist called Tommy Frenck who could make it to the runoff for the county administrator position. MDR reports that after 89 of the 128 polling districts have been counted, Frenck has secured 24.9% of the votes and is in second place. The Free Voters candidate, Sven Gregor, has 44% of the votes, and CDU's Dirk Lindner trails with 22.8%.
In Oberhof, the Winter Sports Capital, a new mayor has been elected. Daniel Fischer, a non-partisan candidate, got a whopping 95.2% of the votes after all 800 votes were counted. He didn't have an opponent, but surprisingly, 37 voters still wrote down different names on their ballots.
Here's a funny story: Fretterode in Eichsfeldkreis had no mayoral candidate. The honorary mayor, Mike Gunkel, chose not to run. However, the majority of voters still wrote down Gunkel's name on their ballots, giving him a staggering 71.6% of the votes.
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- In the Thuringian state parliamentary election, the SPD, CDU, FDP, The Left, BSW (Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance), and Alliance 90/The Greens are all competing for seats.
- The CDU is currently leading in popular support in several large cities in Thuringia, while the AfD is typically lagging behind.
- In the last Thuringian municipal election, the BSW was a newcomer, campaigning to gain a seat in the fall legislature, and the AfD, considered right-wing extremist by the state constitution protection, faced high anticipation for its results.
- After the elections, the SPD, as part of various coalitions, often collaborates with the CDU and FDP at the federal level, while The Left and Alliance 90/The Greens remain in opposition. The BSW, although not a traditional player in Thuringian politics, may aim to influence these coalitions or form new alliances.
Source: www.ntv.de
