Local elections saw voters choose new city and municipal councils, district councils, and also elect mayors, lord mayors, and district administrators.
The CDU won the local elections held on Sunday, September 14th in North Rhine-Westphalia. SPD came second, the Greens lost significant support, and Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) made major gains.
Statistically, the CDU won with 33.3%, slightly down from 2020. The SPD dropped to 22.1%, while the Greens suffered heavy losses at 13.4%.
Significantly, the AfD made the biggest gains, tripling its votes since the last elections, surging to 14.6%. The FDP fell below 4%, and the Left improved to 5.6%.
Other parties gained 7.3%. Voter turnout rose sharply to 58.5%, the highest since 1994.
Older voters favored CDU and SPD, which together secured around 70% in the 60+ age group.
