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The elections in three East German Länder in 2019 did not only result in significant changes in the proportional vote share but also in severe shifts in constituency results between directly elected deputies . Against this backdrop this article analyses the election results in Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia since 1990 . It shows that most of the constituencies have become contested . Hence, concepts dealing with “safe” constituencies for one party can, particularly in an increasingly fragmented party system, no longer explain election outcomes . Instead, the relevance of candidates for their respective electoral performances is taken into account . Overall, our results clearly suggest an incumbency factor .

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