AfD NRW names Martin Vincentz as Spitzenkandidat for 2027 state election

At its party congress in Marl, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in North Rhine‑Westphalia selected party and parliamentary leader Martin Vincentz as the party’s top candidate for the 2027 Landtag election, marking the first time the AfD will run a candidate for the state’s Minister‑President office. Vincentz ran unopposed for the first spot on the state list and received 327 yes‑votes, 143 against and 10 abstentions from roughly 500 delegates.

The party’s internal factions – a moderate wing represented by Vincentz and a more radical wing – remain deeply divided, a split reflected in heated debates over the use of electronic vote‑counting equipment. The final decision allowed the electronic system but introduced a dice‑roll mechanism: a roll of six would trigger a manual recount.

On the list, Gelsenkirchen MP Enxhi Seli‑Zacharias secured the second position after a controversial “clean‑the‑street” video sparked media criticism. AfD polls in the state hover around 17 percent, tying with the SPD and trailing the CDU’s 32 percent. Party officials project that the party could win at least 30 seats in the Landtag if the election proceeds as expected.