Exit polls and early projections from Sunday's state election in Saxony-Anhalt gave the Alternative for Germany party a commanding lead with 44.5 percent of the vote, marking its strongest performance ever in a German state contest and positioning it as the likely winner.

The result represents the first time a far-right party has emerged victorious in a state election since World War II. The AfD more than doubled its 2021 share of 20.8 percent in the eastern state, where turnout reached an estimated 78 percent.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union trailed far behind at 18.5 percent, down sharply from 37.1 percent in the previous election. The CDU had governed the state since 2002. Other parties clustered around 8 to 9 percent, including the Left party at roughly 9.4 percent, the Greens near 8.9 percent, and the Social Democrats at about 8.2 percent.

AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund, 35, described the outcome as historic. National co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla hailed a clear mandate to govern and a rejection of the political establishment in Berlin. The party fell just short of an outright majority in initial counts, leaving open questions about forming a government amid the longstanding refusal of other parties to enter coalitions with it.

The strong showing reflects widespread voter frustration with economic stagnation and immigration policies under the current federal government. AfD officials framed the result as a signal that the mainstream parties' isolation strategy has failed.