German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) managed to fend off the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Brandenburg’s state election, securing 30.9% of the vote against AfD’s 29.2%. This last-minute comeback offers Scholz a slight reprieve amid discussions about his suitability as the SPD’s chancellor candidate for the upcoming federal election. However, the success is unlikely to significantly boost Scholz or the SPD, as Brandenburg’s SPD premier Dietmar Woidke had distanced himself from Scholz. Exit polls showed many SPD voters aimed to block the AfD rather than support the SPD. Nationally, the SPD is polling at 15%, behind the AfD and conservatives.