Following Martin Sichert, Reinhild Goes, another AfD candidate, was excluded from the upcoming local elections. Other decisions regarding AfD candidates are still pending.
In the midst of the local election campaign in Lower Saxony, the AfD is under further pressure: after the exclusion of Bundestag member Martin Sichert from the district council elections and the AfD candidate in the mayoral elections in Nörten-Hardenberg, many other party candidates are currently being tested for their constitutionality.
It is based on the new election law in Lower Saxony, which explicitly provides for such an examination of candidates for senior municipal positions. The Lower Saxony Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the Lower Saxony AfD party as “known right-wing extremist.”
The Hannover Administrative Court rejected the party’s urgent application. The case is currently being heard at the Higher Administrative Court of Lüneburg. His decision could be made before the local elections on September 13. In addition to district councils, city and municipal councils, mayors, mayors and district administrators will be re-elected in many places in Lower Saxony.
On Wednesday evening, the local election commission in Nörten-Hardenberg (Noortheim district) voted unanimously against the AfD candidate. Reinhild is coming be admitted to the mayoral elections. The case is now being reviewed again in the county, NDR reports. Goes is a member of the federal board of the AfD youth organization Generation Germany. Local elections officials previously recommended their approval. A decision is due by the end of July on whether the candidate will ultimately be allowed to run.
The day before, a member of the Bundestag from the AfD was present at the election commission of the Friesland district. Martin Szekes excluded from district elections. The committee followed a recommendation from the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior, which raised doubts about its commitment to the constitution. In addition to his leading role in the AfD of Lower Saxony, various statements and social media posts were cited as reasons. Sichert announced legal action, WELT reports.
Other AfD politicians are also under scrutiny. In Hannover, for example, approval of AfD membership in the state parliament is being discussed. Jessica Schulke decided to vote for the mayor. The city authorities asked the Interior Ministry for an assessment because Schülke, as a member of the state parliament, is one of the leading representatives of a party that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Lower Saxony classifies as right-wing extremist. However, according to NDR, the local regulatory authority is expected to recommend approval. Schülke rejects all doubts and emphasizes his commitment to the basic free democratic order.
The situation for the AfD’s deputy leader is also uncertain. Stefan Bothewho would like to become the administrator of the Lüneburg district. His candidacy is also currently being considered. According to the NDR, Bothe’s statements are part of the evidence on the basis of which the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the Lower Saxony AfD as right-wing extremist. The electoral commission in Lüneburg wants to make a decision here at the end of July.
The exam is also held in the Gifhorn area. AfD district chairman submits application there Robert Preuss for the mayor’s office. The municipal watchdog has not yet made a final recommendation regarding the status of the assessment.
The reason for the events is a change in the local electoral legislation of Lower Saxony. Candidates for mayoral and district administration must ensure that they always uphold the basic free democratic order. What is new is the testing procedure adopted by the Lower Saxony State Parliament on April 28, 2026.
Since then, election commissions have been able to contact the local authority’s responsible oversight body if they have reasonable doubts about candidates. This, in turn, could incorporate the findings of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution into the review and make recommendations to the election commission. However, the final decision on admission rests with the election commission.
Election authorities may also receive and use information from the Office for the Protection of the Constitution to make their decisions. The procedure affects not only AfD members, but also applicants from other organizations classified as extremist.
The AfD sees this procedure as a kind of “banning the party through the back door” and, in fact, wants it to be legally reviewed. According to the NDR, the SPD parliamentary group defended the procedure. “This is not a law aimed at the AfD, but rather it concerns both right-wing and left-wing extremists. It is directed against those who do not stand on the feet of the Basic Law,” said Stefan Politz, leader of the SPD parliamentary group.
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