The governor of Germany’s most populous state was picked to lead Chancellor Angela Merkel’s political party.

Armin Laschet, governor of North Rhine-Westphalia, was chosen Saturday, months before national elections.

Laschet defeated conservative rival Friedrich Merz in an online convention of the Christian Democratic Union. Laschet won 521 votes to Merz’s 466, according to an AP report. A third candidate, Norbert Roettgen was eliminated in a first round of voting.

Although the vote is not the final word on who will run for chancellor as the center-right candidate in German elections on Sept. 26, Laschet, 59, is poised to either run himself or have a say in who does.

Merkel, who has been chancellor since 2005, announced in 2018 she would not seek a fifth term in office. She also stepped down from the leadership of the Christian Democratic Union.