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The district election in East Thuringia has been decided. CDU man, for God’s sake, wins. AfD candidate speaks of “campaign against AfD”. The news ticker.
- Runoff election Saale-Orla district: Uwe Thrum (AfD) runs against Christian Herrgott (CDU).
- She can go to Sonneberg AfD conquer the second district administrator position
- This live ticker provides information about forecasts, projections and results
Update from January 29th, 2:11 p.m.: According to Bundestag member Bernd Baumann, the AfD sees the outcome of the runoff election for the district office in the Saale-Orla district in eastern Thuringia as a “sign of strength.” “We have nominated one candidate, and all the other parties and factions are behind another candidate “, so to speak, entrenched, and he won very narrowly,” said the parliamentary managing director of the AfD parliamentary group on Monday in Berlin. “This shows our strength compared to all other parties.”
AfD supporters react outraged to the CDU MP’s victory
Update from January 29th, 10:15 a.m: AfD supporters reacted outraged to the CDU MP’s victory in the district elections in the Saale-Orla district. When Herrgott came on stage at an event, AfD supporters “harassed” the CDU man, he reports Deutschlandfunk. “There was chanting of ‘get off’,” reports a correspondent for the station.
When the results of the elections were clear, there were also chants in support of the AfD candidate Thrum. “Supporters of the AfD candidate then sang the Deutschlandlied,” it says Deutschlandfunk. Thrum himself downplayed Herrgott’s victory and claimed after the election that the CDU member had only won with the “votes of red and green”. On top of that, there is a “partially inhumane campaign” running against the AfD and himself, said Thrum.
Uwe Thrum (AfD) during the counting event in the district office of the Saale-Orla district in Schleiz. © Jacob Schrter/IMAGO
AfD loses election in Thuringia – CDU prevails in the Saale-Orla district
Update from January 28th, 7:23 p.m.: The AfD lost the runoff election for the district office in the Saale-Orla district in eastern Thuringia. The CDU candidate Christian Herrgott prevailed on Sunday against AfD man Uwe Thrum, as the state returning officer announced. Thrum went into the runoff election with a clear lead and was hoping for the second AfD district office nationwide after Robert Sesselmann in Sonneberg.
After all voting districts were counted, CDU candidate Herrgott received 52.4 percent of the votes. Thrum achieved 47.6 percent. The 39-year-old Herrgott is general secretary of the Thuringian CDU and has been a member of the state parliament since 2014. His first day of work as district administrator is scheduled for February 9th.
Of the more than 66,000 eligible voters, around 69 percent took part in the runoff election. In the first round two weeks ago, voter turnout was around 66 percent, twice as high as in the last district election in 2018. Thrum dominated the first round with 45.7 percent of the vote. Good Lord came to 33.3 percent. The Thuringian AfD is classified and monitored by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as definitely right-wing extremist.
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Update from January 28th, 7:12 p.m.: In the district election in the Saale-Orla district in eastern Thuringia, CDU candidate Christian Herrgott will win over AfD man Uwe Thrum. After counting 149 of the 154 voting districts, Herrgott had 51.6 percent of the votes on Sunday evening, according to data from the state returning officer. Voter turnout by then was 64 percent, below the 66 percent in the first round.
Update from January 28th, 6:34 p.m.: In the district election in the Saale-Orla district in eastern Thuringia, there is a close race between the AfD and the CDU. After counting in around half of the 154 voting districts, AfD candidate Uwe Thrum had 51.2 percent of the votes on Sunday evening. CDU man Christian Herrgott got 48.8 percent, according to data from the state returning officer. However, until then, polling stations in smaller villages had mainly been counted.
By then, voter turnout was 69 percent, higher than the 66 percent in the first round. The polling stations for the runoff election have been closed since 6 p.m. The AfD is hoping for its second district administrator post in Germany after Robert Sesselmann in Sonneberg in the rural and low-income district. In the first round of voting two weeks ago, Thrum dominated with 45.7 percent of the vote. At that time, for goodness sake, it was 33.3 percent. In total, over 66,000 people in the district are eligible to vote.
District election in the Saale-Orla district: polling stations are closed
Update from January 28th, 6:10 p.m.: The polling stations in the Saale-Orla district have been closed for ten minutes. Within the next hour it could be clear whether the CDU or the AfD will be the district administrator here in the future.
Update from January 28th, 9:58 a.m.: Tension in the Saale-Orla district: The CDU does not dare to make a prediction two hours after the polls opened. A result in the runoff election for the district administrator post is difficult to predict, says CDU candidate Christian Herrgott der Time. “It will be very, very tight. Everything depends on mobilization.” The large demonstrations in the last few days may also have had an influence. In view of the AfD’s connections to right-wing extremists, numerous protests have been taking place across the country for a week and a half.
Update from January 28th, 8:00 a.m: Here we go. The polling stations are open for the runoff election for the district council election in Thuringia. A result should be known by 7 p.m. at the latest.
AfD against CDU: District election in the Saale-Orla district (SOK) is seen as a mood for elections in Thuringia
First report: In the Thuringian Saale-Orla district (SOK), two applicants from the AfD and CDU will be running in the runoff election for the district administrator position on Sunday (January 28th). In the first round of voting two weeks ago, the AfD candidate Uwe Thrum received by far the most votes with 45.7 percent. The general secretary of the Thuringian CDU, Christian Herrgott, who is also applying for the district administrator position, followed with 33.3 percent. Since no candidate received the necessary absolute majority straight away, a runoff election is necessary.
Election in the Saale-Orla district in 2024: AfD has a chance for the second district administrator post
In advance, the Left and the Greens called for the AfD not to be given a vote. Thuringia’s SPD state leader Georg Maier supports Herrgott. The AfD could conquer the second district office in the Saale-Orla district in 2024. Last June, AfD politician Robert Sesselmann held a district administrator post for the party in the Thuringian district of Sonneberg for the first time. In December, an AfD candidate won a mayoral election for the first time. In Pirna, Saxony, AfD candidate Tim Lochner prevailed in a second round of voting. In the Sonneberg district, Robert Sesselmann won the AfD’s first district administrator position in the country last summer. The Thuringian Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the regional association headed by Björn Höcke as proven right-wing extremist and is monitoring it.
The election is seen as the first test of sentiment for the upcoming elections in Thuringia. In May, a number of district administrator and mayoral seats will be filled in the Free State. The state elections are coming up on September 1st. The AfD is well ahead in nationwide surveys, recently reaching values above 30 percent. The situation is similar in Saxony and Brandenburg, where elections are also due in September 2024.
Runoff election in the Saale-Orla district: AfD candidate is considered a friend of Höcke
In the district election in the Saale-Orla district, AfD candidate Uwe Thrum and CDU man Christian Herrgott will meet in the runoff. Uwe Thrum, born in the district town of Schleiz in 1974 and a trained master carpenter, is a member of the state parliament. According to a report from Spiegel, he is considered a confidant of state leader Björn Höcke and is said to have contacts in the Reich citizen scene.
When can we expect a result in the election?
But can he really win? According to a spokesman for the district office, the first results can be expected relatively quickly: “Since there are only two candidates on the ballot papers, the first electoral districts could report results as early as five to ten minutes after 6 p.m..” The final result should be available by 7 p.m.