HAMBURG, Germany, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives lost their majority in Hamburg state elections Sunday, exit polls indicated.
Exit polls showed Christian Democrat Premier Ole von Beust winning 42.5 percent of the vote, Deutsche Welle reported. The center-left Social Democrats won 34 percent support in the exit poll, which represents a 4 point increase in comparison to the last elections, the newspaper said.
The Left party, which emerged out of disgruntled Social Democrat supporters and the heirs of the East German Communist Party, won seats in the Hamburg parliament for the first time.
Eyes were on the election in the northern port city to see if conservatives can beat a national swing to the left ahead of German's national elections next year, Deutsche Welle said.
