The first election in Thuringia will take place in 2024: it is for the district office in the rural Saale-Orla district. Now the result is clear.
Update from January 14th, 7:55 p.m.: In the runoff election in two weeks, the AfD has the chance to become the second district administrator in Thuringia after Robert Sesselmann in Sonneberg – Thrum could also become the second AfD man to hold a district administrator position nationwide.
The party is classified and monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in the Free State as proven right-wing extremist. The election came in the middle of the flaring discussion about a ban on the AfD after a meeting of right-wing extremists in Potsdam, about which the media company Corrective had reported. AfD politicians were also among the participants.
Result of the district election in the Saale-Orla district: AfD candidate is ahead – runoff vote decides
Update from January 14th, 7:40 p.m.: In the district election in the Saale-Orla district, all voting districts have been counted. According to the state returning officer, Uwe Thrum, the AfD candidate, is ahead with 45.7 percent of the vote. However, he did not achieve an absolute majority. This is followed by CDU candidate Christian Herrgott, who will move into the runoff against Thrum, with 33.3 percent, the non-party Regina Butz with 14.2 percent and Ralf Kalich (Die Linke) with 6.9 percent. The voter turnout is 65.5 percent
The runoff election between Thrum and Herrgott is scheduled to take place on January 28th.
| Uwe Thrum (AfD) | 45.7 percent |
| Christian Herrgott (CDU) | 33.3 percent |
| Regina Butz (independent) | 14.2 percent |
| Ralf Kalich (The Left) | 6.9 percent |
| Source: wahlen.thueringen.de |
District election in the Saale-Orla district: AfD candidate is ahead
Update from January 14th, 7:03 p.m.: According to the first counts, AfD candidate Uwe Thrum is ahead with 45.7 percent. This is followed by CDU candidate Christian Herrgott with 33.2 percent, the independent Regina Butz, supported by the SPD, with 14.2 percent and Left Party candidate Ralf Kalich with 6.9 percent. It will probably result in a runoff election in 14 days between Thrum and Herrgott.
Experience has shown that the results are not representative, he emphasizes MDR. At 6:51 p.m., 134 of 154 voting districts had been counted.
Update from January 14th, 6:12 p.m.: The counting of votes for the district election in the Saale-Orla district in Thuringia has begun. The first results are expected from 6.30 p.m.
Saale-Orla district elects new district administrator: AfD could get Thrum’s next position
First report from January 14th: Schleiz – In the Saale-Orla district in eastern Thuringia, around 65,000 eligible voters will be called upon to elect a new district administrator on Sunday (January 14th). After twelve years, incumbent Thomas Fügmann (CDU) is no longer running for reasons of age.
The polls close at 6 p.m. Anyone who receives more than half of all votes cast becomes a district administrator. If none of the four candidates get the necessary majority, there will be a runoff election two weeks later.
SPD, CDU, Left and AfD: Who will run in the district elections in the Saale-Orla district
For the CDU, AfD and the Left are running for state parliament members Christian Herrgott, Uwe Thrum and Ralf Kalich. The independent Regina Butz is running for the SPD.
| Christian Lord God | CDU |
| Uwe Thrum | AfD |
| Ralf Kalich | The left |
| Regina Butz | independent, runs for SPD |
It is not unlikely that the AfD candidate will claim the election. In the last federal election, the AfD received the most votes of all parties in the district. And in current surveys, the AfD clearly dominates in the Free State of Thuringia.
Election in the Saale-Orla district: Uwe Thrum would not be the first AfD man at the highest level of the district administration
Thrum would be the second AfD man at the highest level of district administration in Thuringia. Like Robert Sesselmann in the Sonneberg district, Thrum is campaigning on federal issues such as the abolition of climate protection measures, sanctions on Russia and asylum policy. Burning issues in rural Thuringia, for example in the Saale-Orla district, are primarily a lack of health care and low wages.
According to information from the MDR, the interim results will be presented in the foyer of the district office in Schleiz. Unlike federal and state elections, there will be no forecasts and projections.
The election is seen as a mood test for the election year in Thuringia – at least for rural areas. The state elections in Thuringia are scheduled for September 1st. (lrg/dpa)