A far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s candidate on Sunday won a vote to become a district leader for the first time, sparking concerns among Jewish organizations.

The AfD’s Robert Sesselman won a run-off vote in the Sonneberg district in the eastern state of Thuringia garnering 52.8 percent of the vote. This victory is especially alarming in Germany due to the country’s Nazi past. 

The President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, said he was shocked. 

“This is a watershed that this country’s democratic political forces cannot simply accept,” he told RND media, according to Reuters. 

The 10-year-old party that mainstream factions refuse to cooperate with due to its radical views, is particularly strong in the east of the country that used to be under Soviet rule. The party opposes economic sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine war.

Polls suggest the party may win three eastern state votes next year. The AfD also plans to nominate a chancellor candidate in the 2025 federal election. 

Earlier this month, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency said that far-right extremism posed the biggest threat to the country’s democracy and warned voters about backing the AfD.