Eralp to Lead Berlin Left in 2026 Election
The Berlin branch of the Left party has selected Elif Eralp as its top candidate for the September 20, 2026, election to the House of Representatives. the unanimous nomination by the state executive board positions the 44-year-old lawyer to officially become the party’s lead candidate at a state party conference on November 15th.
Eralp, a member of the Berlin House of Representatives since 2021, currently serves as a deputy group leader and spokesperson for migration, participation, and anti-discrimination within the Left parliamentary group.
The Left party aims to build on its strong showing in the February 2025 federal election, where it secured the most votes in Berlin with approximately 20%, surpassing the CDU, Greens, and SPD. The party, boasting 16,700 members following a recent surge in membership, hopes to capitalize on this momentum and win control of the Red town Hall.
Born in Munich in 1981 to Turkish refugees,Eralp spent her childhood in Munich,Dortmund,and Hamburg before studying law in Hamburg. She relocated to Berlin in 2010 after completing her second state examination.
Eralp will challenge incumbent Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU), who leads a coalition government with the SPD. Other anticipated challengers include Steffen Krach (SPD),the current regional president of Hanover,and Werner Graf (Greens),the parliamentary group leader. The AfD is expected to nominate its party and parliamentary group leader, Kristin Brinker.
The Left party previously participated in governing coalitions with the SPD and Greens from 2016 to 2023. A repeat election, triggered by irregularities in the 2021 vote, resulted in the current CDU-SPD coalition.
