Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Germany's center-left Social Democrats were locked in a very close race Sunday with outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right bloc, which is heading toward its worst-ever result in the country's parliamentary election, projections showed.Top officials from both parties said they hope to lead Germany's next government and have their candidates succeed Merkel, who has been in power since 2005.Projections for ARD public television, based on exit polls and early counting, put voters' support at 24.9% for the Social Democrats — which is putting forth outgoing Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz for chancellor — and 24.7% for Merkel’s Union bloc under would-be successor state governor Armin Laschet.Separate projections for ZDF public television put the Social Democrats ahead by 25.6% to 24.4%. Both put the environmentalist Greens in third place with about 15% support.Those results would be the worst for the Union bloc in post-World War II Germany.The electoral system typically produces coalition governments b