In a decisive victory, Olaf Lies has been elected as the new chair of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the state of Lower Saxony, Germany. The outcome of the vote, held at the party’s state convention in Wolfenbüttel, saw Lies secure a significant 96.4 percent of the total valid votes, with 187 out of 194 ballots cast in his favor.
Lies, who has also served as the Minister-President of the state since May 20, emphasized the importance of party unity in his address, referencing the SPD’s disappointing performance in the recent federal election. He urged the party to draw conclusions and provide answers to the concerns of citizens.
The convention also saw the election of several other key officials, including Dörte Liebetruth as general secretary and Adis Ahmetovic, Dunja Kreiser, Philipp Raulfs, Svenja Stadler and Kathrin Wahlmann as deputy chairpersons. Uli Watermann was re-elected as the party’s treasurer.