Steffen Krach: SPD hopeful for the Berlin House of Representatives election in 2026!

Steffen Krach: SPD hopeful for the Berlin House of Representatives election in 2026!

The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) has nominated its top candidate for the upcoming elections to the Berlin House of Representatives in 2026. Steffen Krach, who has been regional president in Hanover since 2021 and was previously State Secretary for Science in the Senate of Berlin from 2014 to 2021, will accept the challenge of representing the SPD in the highly competitive capital. This is reported by the BZ Berlin.

Krach emphasized in a personal letter that he sees the Hanover region, where he still plays an important role, as his “home and a matter close to his heart”. However, the decision to go to Berlin caused confusion and resentment among his party colleagues in Hanover. In particular, there are concerns about his suitability, as the SPD is currently in fourth place in Berlin behind the CDU, the Greens and the Left.

Krach's rise and challenges in Berlin

The expanded SPD state executive board is planning to discuss Krach's nomination next Sunday. An official introduction is scheduled for Monday at a press conference in Berlin. The final confirmation of the top candidate will take place at a party conference on November 15th. Krach will challenge the CDU under Governing Mayor Kai Wegner, which has been in coalition with the SPD since 2023.

The Greens have already proposed Werner Graf as their top candidate, while the SPD, ambitious to win back the office of governing mayor, hopes to come first in the elections.

The challenges facing Krach cannot be underestimated. In the repeat election in February 2023, the SPD only achieved 18.4 percent - the worst election result in its history. Krach, who has been a member of the SPD since 1998 and moved to Berlin, has worked in various positions in the Senate Department for Education and Science and is considered the party's hope.

Political backgrounds and future ambitions

Krach's term as regional president in Hanover runs until autumn 2026. However, he does not want to apply for a new term of office. His entry into the Berlin election campaign comes after he failed to fulfill hopes for the post of economics minister in Lower Saxony following the naming of Olaf Lies as Stephan Weil's successor. In addition, the large SPD sub-district of Hanover is led by another politician, Grant Hendrik Tonne.

Since 2021, the SPD has had problems maintaining its position vis-à-vis the Union at the national level. Historically, the SPD experienced long periods of growth and stagnation. While the SPD has performed differently in terms of voter support among different demographic groups and regions in the past, the composition of voters has become relatively similar since the 1990s. Currently, Protestant voters in particular have remained loyal to their target group, while the party has lost support among younger voters. This could make Krach's task in the election campaign even more difficult, reinforcing the need to win back the electorate. According to the Federal Agency for Civic Education The SPD has developed differently in cities and rural areas, which presents it with many challenges in the upcoming election campaign.

Krach, who is married and has three children, took parental leave for two months in 2023 and remains in close contact with his colleagues in Hanover, even if he moves to Berlin. His goal is to put the SPD on a successful course and to become a strong voice in the capital's political landscape.