Six members of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party have died within a matter of weeks in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, triggering a wave of speculation and conspiracy theories ahead of local elections. Authorities, however, insist there is no evidence of foul play.
Four candidates dead before ballots finalisedThe unusual string of deaths came to light as ballots were being prepared for the September 14 vote. Four AfD candidates (Ralph Lange, Wolfgang Klinger, Wolfgang Seitz, and Stefan Berendes) died, forcing election officials to reprint ballots, per News.com.au.
It later emerged that two reserve list candidates, René Herford and Patrick Tietze, had also died. Police and the North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Ministry confirmed that the causes of death were natural or otherwise explainable, with no evidence pointing to outside involvement.
Still, the timing has fueled rumors and online speculation.
AfD leader Alice Weidel shared a post on X from economist Stefan Homburg, describing the cluster of deaths as “statistically almost impossible.”
The message quickly gained traction after billionaire Elon Musk, who has previously expressed support for AfD’s anti-immigration policies, amplified the claim with a simple “!!” reply.
AfD deputy leader Stephan Brandner also called the deaths “statistically striking and difficult to explain,” telling Politico’s Berlin Playbook that he had never heard of so many candidates from one party dying in such quick succession before an election.
Others in the party, however, struck a more cautious tone. AfD’s deputy state leader Kay Gottschalk said the circumstances should be examined carefully “without immediately getting into conspiracy theory territory.”
Police confirm natural causesAccording to officials, most of the deaths were linked to health conditions. Lange, 66, and Klinger, 71, both had pre-existing health issues and died of natural causes. Seitz, 59, suffered a heart attack, while Berendes, also 59, reportedly died of natural causes, though his exact cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.
Reserve candidate Herford died of kidney failure related to a liver condition, while Tietze died by suicide, police confirmed, as per Politico.
Authorities emphasized that investigations are standard procedure when causes of death are initially unclear but found no evidence of foul play.
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The Interior Ministry noted that AfD was not the only party impacted by losses. In recent weeks, SPD candidate Eleonore Jüssen and Green Party candidate Karl Reger also died in the state. With 20,000 candidates running across North Rhine-Westphalia, officials stressed that deaths, while unusual in number, are not unprecedented.
AfD's rapid rise in German politicsThe controversy comes as AfD surges in popularity, particularly in eastern Germany, where it polls above 30 percent. In February’s federal elections, the party won 20.8 percent of the vote, making it the country’s second-largest party, BBC News reports.
Despite its success, AfD remains politically isolated. In May, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency classified the party as a confirmed right-wing extremist organization, a move that AfD is currently challenging in court, Reuters details.
With local elections approaching, the party hopes to translate its national momentum into gains in North Rhine-Westphalia, where it has historically underperformed.