In a significant development, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has chosen Markus Frohnmaier, a Bundestagsabgeordnet, as its candidate for the Ministerpräsident in the upcoming Baden-Württemberg state election in 2026. Frohnmaier was elected to the position at the Landeswahlversammlung in Heilbronn on Saturday, with a single dissenting vote and unanimous approval from the rest of the party.
According to recent polls, the AfD is currently running neck and neck with the Greens, with a 19% share of the vote. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leads the pack with around 31%, followed by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) with 10-12%, the Left Party with 7-8% and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) with 5-6%.
The CDU and the Greens had previously selected their respective candidates, Manuel Hagel and Cem Özdemir, in an effort to win over supporters of incumbent Ministerpräsident Winfried Kretschmann, who has chosen not to run for re-election.