During the mayoral election on Sunday in the 13,000-resident town of Zehdenick, located north of Berlin, AfD candidate René Stadtkewitz achieved a definitive victory in the first round. Voters allocated 58.4 percent of their votes to Stadtkewitz, with Stephan von Hundelshausen of the FDP taking second place with 28.6 percent.
The result drew immediate commentary from regional political leaders. René Springer, the AfD Brandenburg regional chair, characterized the outcome as a preview of broader trends across the state. “Zehdenick is a preview of what is yet to come in Brandenburg” Springer stated. He added that the success demonstrates a growing trend of the AfD winning mayoral and district head positions, concluding, “Things must change in our state-and only the AfD can bring about that change. More and more citizens are recognizing this truth”. His victory makes Stadtkewitz the only full-time AfD mayor currently serving in Brandenburg.
The FDP regional chair, Zyon Braun, deemed the result an “achievement” believing it showed that the liberal party remains attractive to many voters and that the FDP is still needed.
The election saw no other candidates from established national parties. Instead, the unaffiliated candidate Wolf-Gernot Richardt secured 7.8 percent of the vote, while Dennis Latzke of the “Progress Party” received 5.2 percent.