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Berlin Greens Pick Werner Graf and Bettina Jarasch to Lead 2026 Campaign With 81.7% Backing

Recent polls put the Greens at roughly 14–16 percent, trailing the CDU and the Left in Berlin.

Overview

  • Delegates at the Neukölln party congress voted 147 in favor of the Graf–Jarasch ticket, with 23 against and 9 abstentions, for the 20 September 2026 Abgeordnetenhaus election.
  • Werner Graf said he is running to replace incumbent Kai Wegner as governing mayor and embraced targeted prohibitions, citing street racing, fireworks and a call for an AfD ban.
  • Bettina Jarasch proposed a pause on new office construction, converting about 1.7 million square metres of vacant office space into temporary housing, and pursuing a building exhibition and Expo around 2035–2037.
  • The party reaffirmed its dual state leadership, re‑electing Nina Stahr with 86.9 percent support and Philmon Ghirmai with 77.1 percent.
  • A surprise challenger, Timur Ksianzou of Reinickendorf, drew a single vote against the endorsed duo, as one cited poll showed the CDU at 22 percent and the Left at 19 percent ahead of the Greens.