9.9.2025
German officials have asked for calm as they try to resolve the mysterious death of 16 politicians billed to run in a local election on September 14.
The deaths of 16 the candidates, including seven from a far-right party Alternative for Germany (AFD), has opened door to conspiracy theories about the cause of their deaths. Voters will go to the polls on September 14 in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Germany’s most populous state.
AfD co-leader, Alice Weidel, highlighted the initial deaths on social media with a post on X saying “4 AfD candidates died.”
However, Dr Martin Vincentz, a spokesperson for the North Rhine-Westphalia branch of the party, told Sky News the confirmed number had risen to seven.
In a statement, he said the AfD was saddened by the news but that, according to the information they had received so far, there was “currently no indication of unnatural deaths”.
Some of those running had known pre-existing conditions.
In total, 16 candidates are believed to have died, with police already ruling out unnatural causes in four of the cases, according to the DPA news agency.
The seven AfD nominees were standing for election in a variety of districts and with confirmed ages between 59 and 80.
In all districts where candidates have died, any completed postal ballots will need to be re-cast, local media said.
Ahead of the vote, a spokesman for the local election commission tried to dispel intense online speculation, telling the media that the number of deaths was “not significantly higher” than in previous campaigns.
Some 20,000 seats are up for grabs in the election in a state with a population of more than 18 million. With Skynews reports
German far right party members at rally.