Herzberger ahead in runoff election
AfD candidate loses in Dahme-Spreewald
November 13, 2023, 3:09 a.m
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The AfD candidate cannot prevail in the runoff election in the Dahme-Spreewald district: the independent Sven Herzberger, with a clear 65 percent of the votes, ensures that the far-right party in Brandenburg still does not have a district administrator.
The AfD lost the district administrator election in the Dahme-Spreewald district and continues to have no district administrator in Brandenburg. 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. “The fact that so many people voted for a cosmopolitan and tolerant Dahme-Spreewald is really impressive,” Herzberger told the German Press Agency. He didn’t expect such a clear victory. As the new district administrator, he will “not divide, but bring together”.
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. Herzberger and Kotré had a “heart-stopping finale” there on October 8th. None of the candidates received an absolute majority in the vote. Both received around 35 percent of the vote, with the AfD candidate being just ahead. In the end, Kotré was able to garner 317 more votes. Voter turnout in the first round was 50.8 percent.
Home of BER: The district is a boom region
The election in one of the most populous districts in Brandenburg is seen as groundbreaking. The district is considered a boom region and BER Airport is also located there. Nowhere in Brandenburg are there so few unemployed people. At around 3.6 percent, unemployment is also well below the national average. 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.
In the Thuringian district of Sonneberg, the AfD has appointed its first district administrator in Germany this year. The election of the AfD politician to the top municipal office caused a stir and outrage nationwide.