BREMERHAVEN, Germany (AP) — Support for Germany's Social Democrats has ebbed dramatically in recent years, and nowhere is their fate more closely watched than in the northern city-state of Bremen.

The center-left party has dominated the proud port's politics since the end of World War II, winning 19 straight elections and governing it for 73 years. That run could end on Sunday, when voters in Bremen cast their ballots in elections for both the European Parliament and state lawmakers, with potential repercussions for Germany and beyond.

A poor result in both elections could hasten the end of the Social Democrat's coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right Union bloc in Germany's national legislature. It also could reduce the center-left's overall influence on Europe's political landscape.

Niche parties on the left and right have siphoned away support from the Social Democrats.