Would-be Merkel successor Laschet loses ground in local election win

Armin Laschet, federal state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, and his wife Susanne cast their votes for the local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia in Aachen, Germany, September 13, 2020. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen

BERLIN/DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - Germany's Christian Democrats were set for an election win in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia on Sunday, an exit poll showed, but their share of the vote shrank, denting state premier Armin Laschet's ambition to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Laschet, who is positioning himself as the continuity candidate to succeed Merkel, had hoped to increase the Christian Democrats' share of the vote in the local elections to boost his standing ahead of a December party leadership showdown.