Five candidates make Czech Senate in first round of elections

Five candidates in Czech Senate elections secured over 50 percent of the vote, meaning they made it into the upper house without having to take part in two-candidate run-offs next weekend in Saturday’s vote count. They are Jan Grolich, chairman of the Christian Democrats and governor of South Moravia, who was running in Vyškov; Jan Grulich of TOP 09, who secured a seat outright in Rychnov nad Kněžnou; Jan Sobotka, who won a seat for the Mayors and Independents in Trutnov; Tomáš Fiala of Our Czechia (previously Civic Democrats), who held on to his seat in Strakonice; and Zbyněk Linhart of the Mayors and Independents, who won by a wide margin in Děčín.

Among candidates who entered next weekend’s second round of elections to one-third of the 81 seats in the Senate, both the Mayors and Independents and ANO had 13 after 90 percent of votes were counted, while the Civic Democrats had nine.