Fourth AfD Candidate Dies Unexpectedly Ahead of Local Elections

Another candidate of the right-wing anti-immigration Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has died unexpectedly ahead of the local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), marking the fourth such case nationwide in recent months.

As German outlet WDR reported, AfD’s direct candidate for the council in Blomberg, 66-year-old Ralph Lange, died on 28 August. His death automatically rendered invalid polling cards and postal ballot documents already sent out, putting pressure on the city administration to reprint and resend them in time. Following a decision by the city council, the election in Blomberg will proceed as a by-election on the planned date of 14 September 2025.