Voters in Frankfurt an der Oder, a city on Germany’s eastern border with Poland, have rejected the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s bid for its first major mayoral victory.

Independent candidate Axel Strasser won Sunday’s run-off with 69.8% of the vote, defeating AfD’s Wilko Möller, who took 30.2%, according to preliminary results. Voter turnout stood at 49.4%.

The result blocks the AfD, Germany’s largest opposition party, from securing leadership in a significant urban center. In the first round of voting on September 21, Strasser and Möller had nearly tied, while candidates from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Social Democratic Party (SPD) were eliminated.

The vote came just days after Germany’s parliament stripped two AfD lawmakers of immunity — one over defamation charges and another for giving a Nazi salute, which is illegal in Germany.

Frankfurt an der Oder, home to about 57,000 residents, faces ongoing challenges with cross-border migration, border controls, and economic recovery.

While the AfD has gained control of some smaller towns in eastern Germany, it still holds no mayoral posts in large cities. Brandenburg’s intelligence agency has classified the party’s state branch as a “confirmed far-right extremist” group — a designation the AfD disputes as politically motivated.

The classification sparked criticism from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who called it “tyranny in disguise,” drawing a sharp rebuke from Berlin. German officials defended the move, saying, “We have learned from our history that right-wing extremism must be stopped.”

The AfD, known for its anti-immigrant and pro-Russia stances, continues to face scrutiny and a possible legal ban as it seeks to expand its influence beyond its eastern strongholds.