Berlin State Elections: Who Are the Main Candidates?
Almost all candidates came to Berlin from the area of former West Germany. Most are relatively young, and some have an actual chance of conquering Red City Hall.
Berlin's big election day is approaching on September 20th, 2026. Berliners aged 16 and above will have the chance to vote for parties and candidates they support for the House of Representatives and district assemblies. The main candidates for major parties are Stefan Evers, the CDU party chairman and Finance Senator, Steffen Krach, the SPD's main candidate, Bettina Jarasch and Werner Graf of the Greens, and Elif Eralp, the Die Linke's main candidate.
Each candidate has a different vision for Berlin's future, from prioritizing academic high schools and car-friendly policies to affordable housing and climate protection. The polls suggest that Evers would need the far-left Die Linke's support to form a coalition, but such cooperation may be a challenge for conservatives. Krach is the youngest candidate, at 47 years old, but the polls indicate that he is currently in fifth place behind Die Linke, CDU, Greens, and the AfD.
Eralp, the far-left Die Linke candidate, has strong numbers in the polls, and a potential coalition with the SPD and Greens could give her a chance at becoming Governing Mayor. Kristin Brinker, the extremist AfD candidate, aims to build affordable housing and protect the LGBTQI community.
Written by urgent.news from The Berlin Spectator's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
