Henriette Reker, the mayoral candidate for the German city of Cologne who was attacked while campaigning has been elected with an absolute majority
ADVERTISEMENT
Henriette Reker, the mayoral candidate for the German city of Cologne who was attacked while campaigning has been elected with an absolute majority.
Reker was stabbed in the neck while visiting a market on Saturday. The attacker was a 44-year-old unemployed man who appears to have taken exception to her pro-refugee policies.
Reker – an independent supported by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) – becomes the first women to hold the job, garnering around 52% of the vote.
The Social Democrats (SPD) who have been in power in Cologne since 2009 polled 32% Their candisate was Jochen Ott.
A vigil was held on Saturday to protest against xenophobia and to show support for Reker who had to undergo surgery but her prognosis is said to be very positive.
Four other people wounded in the attack.
The alleged assailant has been arrested.
German candidate stabbed by anti-immigrant attacker elected mayor http://t.co/jg0J7EOcek
— TIME.com (@TIME) October 18, 2015