Runoff election: AfD clearly loses district election in Dahme-Spreewald

The AfD still does not have a district administrator in Brandeburg; the party lost the district administrator election in the Dahme-Spreewald district. According to the preliminary results, the independent candidate Sven Herzberger won the runoff election on Sunday with 64.8 percent of the vote, as the returning officer announced. The AfD candidate Steffen Kotré got 35.2 percent. In the first round of voting, AfD member of the Bundestag Kotré was just ahead of Zeuthen Mayor Herzberger.

In the runoff election, Herzberger was supported by all parties except the AfD. Voter turnout was 47.9 percent, slightly lower than in the first round. The Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution has classified the AfD state association as a suspected right-wing extremist case since 2020. In the Thuringian district of Sonneberg, the AfD has appointed its first district administrator in Germany this year.

AfD in Brandenburg a case for the Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Before the runoff election, several companies and educational institutions warned against extremism. The Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution has classified the AfD state association as a suspected right-wing extremist case since 2020. The AfD considers the classification to be incorrect.

In the Sonneberg district in Thuringia, the AfD has appointed its first district administrator in Germany this year. In the Dahme-Spreewald district, the previous district administrator Stephan Loge (SPD) is leaving office after 16 years. The district with the BER airport is considered a boom region.