Aus Der Asche Presidential Primaries, 4372

The Aus Der Asche Presidential Primaries of 4372 were contested to decide the nominee of the ADA for the 4373 Presidential Race. The winner was put forward to attempt to succeed current ADA President Bernard Kilburg, who chose not to run for a third term after six years in the office. Primaries occurred in all five states, with 1.8 million party members able to vote. The candidates were: Minister of Food and Agriculture, Jean-Claude Schlechter; Former Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Romain Brandebourg; second-term Governor of Dorvan, Jan-Henrik Hatrig; businessman Abel Maschner. 1,808,725 total votes were cast with Hatrig winning narrowly over Schlechter after a close race.

Campaign
Schlechter's campaign angled for the left of the party, supporting things like abortion rights and transgender rights. Hatrig struck a more economic and conservative tone, focusing on investment in infrastructure, traditional Dorvish-Hosian values and Dorvish supremacy in the north sea. Brandebourg also focused on infrastructure, but also seemed to side with Schlecher's socially liberal program. Maschner focused on libertarian philosophy, and supported a flat tax and restricting trade unions. Schlechter and Hatrig were the two favourites from the off. Incumbent ADA President, Bernard Kilburg, and Minister for Internal Affairs Ida Kayser (the party's leadership at the time) both stayed neutral, but behind closed doors preferred Schlechter.

301,681 ballots were cast in Miktar - an extremely high turnout. Hatrig won an expected victory in Miktar, where polls had shown him leading Schlechter by 7%. He ended up winning by 11% with 42% of the vote, outperforming expectations - while Schlechter underperformed at 31% despite previously polling slightly higher. Both minor candidates, particularly Mascher, outperformed expectations and won 15% and 12% respective to their final positions. This result suggested that Hatrig was the slight favourite to win.

540,113 ballots were cast in Dorvan - the party's heartland. Hatrig once again bested Schlechter, this time by 9% in both candidate's home state. As the popular incumbent governor, Hatrig outperformed his 3% polling lead while Brandebourg won only 12%. Maschner won just over 6%, and pressure was put onto him to pull out by party leadership - however, Maschner refused. At this point, Hatrig was the favourite to win and it would require major defeats in upcoming states to defeat him. He was also being endorsed by controversial Minister for Foreign Affairs Esther Fischer - who was originally considered a liability - and Minister for Justice Tina Thorn. Minister for Environment and Tourism, Florence Kirsch, was the only cabinet member endorsing Schlechter.

395,556 ballots were cast in Largonia - where Governor Ada Brenscht had just endorsed Schlechter. Schlechter pulled off his first victory over Hatrig in Maschner's home state - Maschner still refused to drop out. Schlechter won 45% to Hatrig's 38%, while Brandebourg was all-but-eliminated with only 7% - Maschner won just 10% in his home state. At this point, with some momentum back in Schlechter's corner, Minister for Education and Culture and First Lady Lydie Kilburg - President Bernard Kilburg's wife - endorsed Schlechter, though her husband the President remained neutral on the race.

Buoyed by newfound momentum and endorsements, Schlechter overtook Hatrig as the favourite - despite lagging behind by nearly 80,000 votes in the vote tally. 241,090 votes were cast in communist-held Westmark. Unfortunately for Schlechter, he was again defeated in Westmark and lost his favourite status once again. He lost by 16% - 53% to 37% - against Hatrig. Brandebourg won only 2% after no campaigning was done by his team in Westmark. Maschner managed to win 8%. 95,000 votes behind, Schlechter nearly conceded the election but was the favourite to win Kordusia and so retained hope that Kayser and/or the President would endorse him and he would be able to win.

No such endorsement materialised, however. Brandebourg and Maschner still did not conceded going into Kordusia, but both made clear who they'd rather see win - Schlechter and Hatrig respectively. 330,285 Kordusian ballots later, Schlechter conceded to Hatrig. Despite having greatly closed the gap in Kordusia - winning 48% to 24%, and Brandebourg taking 21% - he still was left a very close 15,000 votes behind Hatrig. All three other candidates conceded to Hatrig, including Maschner who won just 7% in Kordusia. Schlechter would go on to say that he lost because of Kayser's refusal to endorse him.

Hatrig went on the contest the Presidency for the ADA.