Elif Eralp leads Berlin vote, poised to become city's first Turkish-origin mayor

September 21, 2026 at 07:55 PM2 min

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Elif Eralp's The Left party won first place in Berlin's state election on Sunday, positioning her to potentially become the city's next governing mayor. Her victory could make her the first The Left candidate to lead Berlin since 1990, the city's first mayor of Turkish descent, and its first woman of colour in the office. The win came two weeks after the far-right AfD triumphed in Saxony-Anhalt, underscoring a volatile political landscape.

Key Facts

Elif Eralp's The Left party won first place in Berlin's state election on Sunday.
Eralp would be the first The Left party candidate to lead Berlin since German reunification in 1990.
She would also be Berlin's first mayor of Turkish descent and its first woman of colour to hold the office.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party came third in Berlin, two weeks after winning in Saxony-Anhalt.
Eralp has served in the Berlin House of Representatives since 2021 and became deputy chair of The Left party's parliamentary group in 2024.

Election Victory

Elif Eralp's The Left party won first place in Berlin's state election on Sunday. The victory puts her on course to potentially become the next governing mayor of Germany's capital. Eralp's party secured the most votes but now needs allies to take control of the mayor's office. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party came third in Berlin, two weeks after its triumph in Saxony-Anhalt.

Candidate Background

Born in Munich to Turkish socialists and trade unionists who fled the 1980 military coup in Turkiye, Eralp has a long history of activism. She has been a member of The Left party since 2017 and has served in the Berlin House of Representatives since 2021. Eralp became deputy chair of The Left party's parliamentary group in 2024. She studied law in Hamburg and worked for more than a decade as a legal adviser for The Left.

Policy Platform

Eralp campaigned on promises of affordable housing, rent controls, and more political inclusion for immigrants and refugees. She has long advocated for migrant rights, interning with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and cofounding a migrant rights network within The Left party. Eralp is pushing for Berlin to become a 'solidarity city'.