iStock/Thinkstock(BERLIN) — Exit polls in the German state of Saarland suggest German Chancellor Angela Merkel has won that state’s election with September’s national vote approaching. Merkel is running for a fourth term as chancellor.
The incumbent Christian Democrats (CDU) are projected to win 41 percent of the votes, ahead of Social Democrats (SPD), who currently sit at 29.5 percent. That marks a nearly six percent improvement from the 2012 elections in that state for Merkel’s party, according to BBC News.
The Social Democrats are led by nominee Martin Schulz.
The right-wing populist party running against Merkel and Schulz, Alternative for Germany (AfD), is expected to secure 6 percent of the vote in Saarland.
Saarland is located in the south western part of Germany. The polls closed in the small German state at 4 p.m. ET (16:00 GMT).
More state elections will take place before the country’s federal election on September 24.
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