Six candidates from Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party have died in recent weeks ahead of the upcoming local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, the country’s most populous state.
Police have stated there is no evidence of foul play, but the deaths mean that new ballots must be printed and some postal voters will have to cast their votes again.
North Rhine-Westphalia, home to 18 million residents, is preparing for local elections on September 14, with around 20,000 candidates running for office.
The unusual number of deaths has sparked questions and conspiracy theories on social media. The state’s Interior Ministry emphasized that candidates from other parties, including the Greens and Social Democrats (SPD), have also passed away in recent weeks.
AfD, which became Germany’s second-largest party in the February federal elections, has been expanding its influence from its traditional eastern strongholds into western regions. In May, the country’s domestic intelligence agency classified AfD as a far-right extremist organization, though the designation is currently paused pending a court challenge. In three eastern states, AfD branches remain under official extremist classification.
Initial reports cited four deaths, later confirmed to be six, including two substitute candidates, fueling speculation online.
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel appeared to amplify concerns by resharing a claim from retired economist Stefan Homburg, who argued the deaths were “statistically almost impossible.”
However, Kay Gottschalk, AfD’s deputy leader in North Rhine-Westphalia, urged caution, saying current information “does not support suspicions at the moment.” Speaking to Politico’s Berlin Playbook Podcast, he stressed that investigations should proceed carefully and respectfully, noting that families are grieving the loss of loved ones.
