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last yr.

Far-right AfD on verge of first mayoral win in Germany

AfD candidate for mayor of Nordhausen, arrives at the polling station to cast his ballot, in Nordhausen, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. The German city of Nordhausen is best known as the location of the former Nazi concentration camp Mittelbau-Dora. A mayoral election on Sunday could again put the focus on the municipality of 42,000 people if a far-right candidate wins the vote. (Silvio Dietzel/dpa via AP)
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People walk past an election poster showing Jörg Prophet in Nordhausen

Overview

  • The far-right AfD party's candidate leads polls for mayor in the town of Nordhausen, located in Thuringia state.
  • Mainstream parties hope to block the AfD victory by urging voters to support the incumbent mayor.
  • AfD polls at 21.5% nationally but even higher in Thuringia, at around 32%.
  • The AfD candidate has made controversial statements about Germany's Nazi past.
  • Nordhausen has historical significance relating to the Holocaust.