Anti-euro party eyes gains in German state votes

BERLIN (AP) — Elections in two German regions are expected to bring further success for an upstart anti-euro group and could bring the country its first state governor from an ex-communist party.

The new Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party won its first seats in a state legislature last month. Polls indicate it will repeat that success Sunday in Thuringia and Brandenburg, two eastern states. AfD advocates ending the euro in its current form but also has appealed to protest voters with tough talk on crime and immigration.

Other parties say they won't govern with AfD. In Thuringia, however, polls show Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives could face a threat to their 24-year hold on the governor's office from a three-way alliance led by the Left Party, which has ex-communist roots.