Voters cast their ballot in a polling station in Hessisch Oldendorf, Germany, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017. About 6.1 million residents are eligible to vote in Sunday's state election in Lower Saxony. Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats hope to oust the Social Democrats of current governor Stephan Weil. (Friso Gentsch/dpa via AP)
The Associated Press
BERLIN (AP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party is aiming to unseat the incumbent center-left governor in Lower Saxony for a fourth straight victory in state elections this year.
Sunday's vote in the northern state was called after the ruling coalition between Social Democrats and Greens lost its one-seat majority in July.
Merkel's Christian Democrats were slightly behind in recent polls, a fact attributed partly to local party leader Bernd Althusmann's low profile compared to that of governor Stephan Weil.
About 6.1 million voters are called upon to vote in Lower Saxony, which has a large agriculture industry but is also home to German automaker Volkswagen.
Merkel's center-right party came out top in last month's national election, but formal talks on forming a coalition were put on hold until after Lower Saxony's vote.
In this Oct. 12, 2017 photo German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and Christian Democrats' top candidate Bernd Althusmann, stand together on stage during an election campaign in Vechta, Germany. State election in Lower Saxony, one of Germany's most populous regions, are scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017, three weeks after a national election. (Carmen Jaspersen/dpa via AP)
The Associated Press
Lower Saxony governor, Stephan Weil, left, and his wife Rosemarie Kerkow-Weil arrive at a polling station in Hannover, Germany, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017. About 6.1 million residents are eligible to vote in Sunday's state election in Lower Saxony. Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats hope to oust the Social Democrats of current governor Stephan Weil. (Julian Stratenschulte/dpa via AP)
The Associated Press