As he posted posters in Dresden, the teenager claimed to have knocked down Matthias Ecke, the front-runner for the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Saxony.
According to the police, Mr. Ecke, 41, needed surgery because of his significant injuries.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to the incident as a “threat” to democracy and denounced it.
Officers report that four attackers kicked and struck Mr. Ecke in the Striesen neighborhood of Dresden.
Der Spiegel reports that the teenager showed up at a Dresden police station early on Sunday morning with a parent in tow.
According to the publication, police were hunting for three other 17–20-year-old suspects.
