Dundorf

[TheNick]

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Meet the Candidates for Federal President of Dundorf

September 5689

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The Battle for Karlottenberg Schloss (pictured) has begun.

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Dunburg - Over the course of the summer, several people announced their bids for President, all following suit to the early announcement made by former Chancellor Lorena Oberlitz in May. The filing deadline to run for President is set to expire today, 30th September, at 23:59; and tomorrow will mark the official start to Dundorf's first Presidential Campaign after 66 years. The Nordenhausen Allgemeine Zeitung is presenting all the candidates running for the office of the President in this article, so that our readers are fully informed about the people running, and can begin to think who they're going to vote in February. The candidates are listed by alphabetical order, in order to not assume preferences or unintended endorsement from the Editorial Board.

The first candidate is Dr. Herman Felder, a NDZP member of the Bundestag who was selected as the Presidential nominee in August. Felder, 55, is the former Minister-President of Oderveld and prior to that he worked as a Professor in Luthorian literature at the University of Dunburg. He is currently serving in the Bundestag after having been elected for the first time in 5686 and is viewed as a rising star in the party, a potential successor to Freda Gimbel, when/if she retires. Felder was chosen in a closed primary election held among NDZP members, and was then endorsed by all the Hosian-Democratic members of the Bundestag. He currently resides in Unterschloss with his wife, Wilhelmina, with whom he had 1 child, now adult. In his free time, Dr. Felder practices fencing. 

The KBP decided to back the candidacy of former long-time Julstoch Minister-President Tobias Gutenberg. Gutenberg, who turns 72 tomorrow, has been a member of the KBP since he was 16 (then still the Julstochian Social Union - JSU) and has witnessed the evolution of his party from a regional force to a national force who today holds the Vice-Chancellorship. He said that it's important to run for Federal President because the Head of State should "always protect the rights of the States and our Federal form of government from the excesses of the central government". Gutenberg lives in Raderath-am-Hof in the family's farm with his wife Cornelia and all of his four adult children and grand-children. He owns a horse and is a passionate chess player.

The Dundorfian Red Front will candidate the party leader, Gerda Kempf. Kempf, 61, announced her candidacy shortly after Oberlitz, in June, and vowed to challenge the former Chancellor on her perceived "extreme moderateness" and pledging to bring a "strong left-wing voice in Karlottenberg". Every member of the DRF group immediately signed her candidacy, allowing her to clear the 32 signatures required from members of the Bundestag in order to launch a bid. Mrs. Kempf lives in Dunburg with her husband, Niklas, and they have three adult children. Mrs. Kempf used to have one pet rabbit, but stated that she wouldn't adopt any new pet if elected to Karlottenberg Schloss.

Foreign Minister Gunther Krancke, of the TLD, will be the fourth candidate Dundorfians will find on their ballot. The TLD, the only party who was strongly opposed to bring back the direct election of the President, chose their Leader to represent them in the Presidential race, without any internal opposition. Krancke has been in politics for the past two decades, holding different cabinet posts and holding for a long time a seat in the Bundestag, representing Oderveld. Krancke, 65, has never married and lives alone with several cats in his Dunburg mansion. He said that his cats would be too stressed to move to Karlottenberg Schloss so he stated "I wasn't that sure of running for an office that would require me to live far away from my cats".

Lorena Oberlitz, the former Chancellor, is the DSDP presidential nominee. The Zeitung already covered her announcement video and the selection method. Mrs. Oberlitz has a rich political history: DSDP Leader since 5674, Chancellor, Deputy Chancellor, Foreign Minister and as of now, de-facto Leader of the Opposition. She has also held a Bundestag seat, representing Chontalen, for almost 25 years. She is 54 and lives in Fuchstal, Chontalen with her husband, Luigi (from Istalia), and 2 young adult children, as well as several cats, like Mr. Krancke. She said all of her cats would follow her to Karlottenberg Schloss, if elected.

Gloria Schumacher is the Green nominee for President, chosen directly by Party Leader Ingrid Niedermeyer. Ms. Schumacher, 38, is a two-term Member of the Bundestag from Dunlake and has been the President of the youth wing of the GPP from 5668 to 5676. More of a backbencher than a rising star, pundits speculate that this choice was made because Mrs. Niedermeyer believes the Green Party doesn't have a path for the Presidency, given the strong candidacy of Mrs. Oberlitz. Schumacher lives in Dunburg with her boyfriend and the couple owns a couple of dogs. Ms. Schumacher and her boyfriend are avid football fans and ssupporters of Dunlake FC, historical rivals to Karlottenberg Dunburg FC, the team originating from the neighborhood where the Presidential residence is in.

Surprise, surprise, an Independent! The only person who could get enough signatures outside of the Bundestag is Mr. Rikkert Van Der Plaas, 41, from Grozvic, who is unaffiliated to any party. His candidacy, he says, is meant primarily to "promote Narik minority interests" and then to "fight political corruption".Van Der Plaas stated to the press that if elected, he would refuse to live in Karlottenberg Schloss and instead said the Federal Government should sell the estate and use the money "to pay off the debt". Mr. Van Der Plaas has previously worked as a carpenter and his only experience close to politics has been when he was elected Class President for one term back in high school. He lives in Sudschloss with his wife and three kids.