Münster (electoral district)

128 Münster
Electoral district
for the Bundestag
Münster in 2025
StateNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Population315,300 (2019)
Electorate233,953 (2021)
Major settlementsMünster
Area303.3 km2
Current electoral district
Created1949
PartyGRÜNE
MemberMaria Klein-Schmeink
Elected2021

Münster is an electoral constituency (German: Wahlkreis) represented in the Bundestag. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 128. It is located in northern North Rhine-Westphalia, comprising the city of Münster.[1]

Münster was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. Since 2021, it has been represented by Maria Klein-Schmeink of the Alliance 90/The Greens.[2]

Geography

Münster is located in northern North Rhine-Westphalia. As of the 2021 federal election, it is coterminous with the independent city of Münster.[1]

History

Münster was created in 1949, then known as Münster-Stadt und -Land. It acquired its current name in the 1965 election. In the 1949 election, it was North Rhine-Westphalia constituency 38 in the numbering system. From 1953 through 1961, it was number 97. From 1965 through 1976, it was number 95. From 1980 through 1998, it was number 99. From 2002 through 2009, it was number 130. In the 2013 through 2021 elections, it was number 129. From the 2025 election, it has been number 128.

Originally, the constituency comprised the city of Münster and the Landkreis Münster district. From 1965 through 1976, it comprised the city of Münster and the municipalities of Amelsbüren, Handorf, Hiltrup, and St. Mauritz from the Landkreis Münster district. Since the 1980 election, it has been coterminous with the city of Münster.

Election No. Name Borders
1949 38 Münster-Stadt und -Land
  • Münster city
  • Landkreis Münster district
1953 97
1957
1961
1965 95 Münster
  • Münster city
  • Landkreis Münster district (only Amelsbüren, Handorf, Hiltrup, and St. Mauritz municipalities)
1969
1972
1976
1980 99
1983
1987
1990
1994
1998
2002 130
2005
2009
2013 129
2017
2021
2025 128

Members

The constituency has been held by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) during all but two Bundestag terms since 1949. It was first represented by Peter Nellen of the CDU from 1949 to 1961, followed by Hermann Diebäcker for two terms and Franz Berding for one. Friedrich-Adolf Jahn was then representative from 1972 to 1994. He was succeeded by Ruprecht Polenz from 1994 to 2002. Christoph Strässer of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2005, but former member Polenz regained the constituency for the CDU in 2009. Sybille Benning was elected in 2013 and re-elected in 2017. Maria Klein-Schmeink was elected for the Greens in 2021.

Election Member Party %
1949 Peter Nellen CDU 34.6
1953 67.8
1957 64.8
1961 Hermann Diebäcker CDU 50.0
1965 57.0
1969 Franz Berding CDU 49.5
1972 Friedrich-Adolf Jahn CDU 48.4
1976 51.0
1980 47.6
1983 51.8
1987 45.2
1990 42.7
1994 Ruprecht Polenz CDU 44.0
1998 44.2
2002 Christoph Strässer SPD 40.8
2005 41.7
2009 Ruprecht Polenz CDU 39.3
2013 Sybille Benning CDU 38.8
2017 37.2
2021 Maria Klein-Schmeink GRÜNE 32.3

Election results

2021 election

Federal election (2021): Münster[3]
Notes:

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Green tickY or Red XN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party Candidate Votes % ±% Party votes % ±%
Greens Maria Klein-Schmeink 63,160 32.3 Increase 19.6 60,036 30.7 Increase 16.1
CDU Stefan Nacke 51,096 26.2 Decrease 11.0 43,790 22.4 Decrease 10.4
SPD Svenja Schulze 47,047 24.1 Decrease 4.8 45,844 23.5 Increase 2.6
FDP Klaus Kretzer 13,038 6.7 Decrease 0.3 20,786 10.6 Decrease 2.9
AfD Helmut Birke 5,234 2.7 Decrease 1.8 5,603 2.9 Decrease 2.1
Left Kira Sawilla 7,078 3.6 Decrease 3.2 9,746 5.0 Decrease 5.2
Volt Carina Beckmann 2,505 1.3 1,812 0.9
PARTEI Roland Scholle 2,283 1.2 Decrease 0.3 1,684 0.9 Decrease 0.2
dieBasis Peter Balint 1,582 0.8 1,409 0.7
Tierschutzpartei   1,326 0.7 Increase 0.3
Team Todenhöfer   774 0.4
FW Olaf Wirl 966 0.5 691 0.4 Increase 0.2
Pirates   479 0.2 Decrease 0.1
ÖDP Alina Möller 897 0.5 Decrease 0.1 422 0.2 Decrease 0.1
Independent Sarah Geselbracht 207 0.1
Humanists   205 0.1 Steady 0.0
V-Partei3   150 0.1 Steady 0.0
LIEBE 138 0.1
Gesundheitsforschung   116 0.1 Steady 0.0
du.   93 0.0
LfK 79 0.0
DKP Manfred Stolper 179 0.1 Steady 0.0 75 0.0 Steady 0.0
PdF 52 0.0
NPD   45 0.0 Steady 0.0
Bündnis C   42 0.0
LKR   25 0.0
Independent Andrea Dumberger 23 0.0
SGP   22 0.0 Steady 0.0
MLPD   12 0.0 Steady 0.0
Informal votes 981 820
Total valid votes 195,295 195,456
Turnout 196,276 83.9 Increase 1.6
Greens gain from CDU Majority 12,064 6.1

2017 election

Federal election (2017): Münster[4]
Notes:

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Green tickY or Red XN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party Candidate Votes % ±% Party votes % ±%
CDU Green tickY Sybille Benning 70,606 37.2 Decrease 1.6 62,276 32.8 Decrease 5.1
SPD Robert von Olberg 54,778 28.9 Decrease 6.6 39,714 20.9 Decrease 6.3
Greens Maria Klein-Schmeink 24,248 12.8 Increase 1.7 27,739 14.6 Decrease 0.6
FDP Jörg Berens 13,219 7.0 Increase 1.2 25,684 13.5 Increase 6.7
Left Hubertus Zdebel 13,024 6.9 Increase 2.6 19,287 10.1 Increase 3.9
AfD Martin Schiller 8,569 4.5 Increase 2.5 9,393 4.9 Increase 2.0
PARTEI Marie Völkering 2,722 1.4 1,935 1.0 Increase 0.6
Tierschutzpartei   781 0.4
Pirates Daniel Düngel 1,003 0.5 Decrease 1.5 712 0.4 Decrease 1.9
ÖDP Joachim Bruns 1,027 0.5 Increase 0.1 641 0.3 Steady 0.0
DiB 337 0.2
FW   246 0.1 Steady 0.0
Independent Carlos Abaga Ayingono 224 0.1
V-Partei³ 222 0.1
BGE   218 0.1
DM 192 0.1
Die Humanisten 158 0.1
Independent Markus Overdiek 154 0.1
AD-DEMOKRATEN 137 0.1
NPD   111 0.1 Decrease 0.2
Volksabstimmung 110 0.1 Steady 0.0
Gesundheitsforschung 95 0.0
DKP Manfred Stolper 173 0.1 66 0.0
MLPD Sebastian Zumdick 107 0.1 64 0.0 Steady 0.0
SGP 8 0.0 Steady 0.0
Informal votes 1,236 964
Total valid votes 189,854 190,126
Turnout 191,090 82.3 Increase 3.2
CDU hold Majority 15,828 8.3 Increase 4.9

2013 election

Federal election (2013): Münster[5]
Notes:

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Green tickY or Red XN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party Candidate Votes % ±% Party votes % ±%
CDU Sybille Benning 69,352 38.8 Decrease 0.4 67,626 37.8 Increase 4.1
SPD Christoph Strässer 63,296 35.4 Increase 2.8 48,579 27.2 Increase 3.4
Greens Maria Klein-Schmeink 19,767 11.1 Decrease 1.7 27,118 15.2 Decrease 2.0
FDP Daniel Bahr 10,222 5.7 Decrease 4.2 12,119 6.8 Decrease 7.9
Left Hubertus Zdebel 7,620 4.3 Decrease 0.5 11,254 6.3 Decrease 0.4
AfD Helmut Birke 3,651 2.0 5,236 2.9
Pirates Sasa Raber 3,582 2.0 4,037 2.3 Increase 0.1
PARTEI   673 0.4
ÖDP Sieglinde Kersting 752 0.4 595 0.3 Increase 0.1
NPD   490 0.3 Decrease 0.1
Independent Harry Seemann 324 0.2
Nichtwahler 218 0.1
FW   195 0.1
PRO 139 0.1
Volksabstimmung 123 0.1 Steady 0.0
Party of Reason 113 0.1
BIG 59 0.0
REP   54 0.0 Decrease 0.1
RRP 52 0.0 Steady 0.0
MLPD   51 0.0 Steady 0.0
PSG 27 0.0 Steady 0.0
Die Rechte 23 0.0
BüSo 21 0.0 Steady 0.0
Informal votes 1,527 1,291
Total valid votes 178,566 178,802
Turnout 180,093 79.1 Increase 1.4
CDU hold Majority 6,056 3.4 Decrease 3.3

2009 election

Federal election (2009): Münster[6]
Notes:

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Green tickY or Red XN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party Candidate Votes % ±% Party votes % ±%
CDU Ruprecht Polenz 63,819 39.3 Decrease 2.1 54,902 33.7 Decrease 1.8
SPD Red XN Christoph Strässer 53,029 32.6 Decrease 9.1 38,604 23.7 Decrease 11.6
Greens Maria Klein-Schmeink 20,822 12.8 Increase 4.4 27,985 17.2 Increase 3.8
FDP Daniel Bahr 16,131 9.9 Increase 4.8 23,951 14.7 Increase 4.4
Left Hubertus Zdebel 7,805 4.8 Increase 2.2 10,970 6.7 Increase 2.7
Pirates   3,489 2.1
NPD Dennis Dormuth 718 0.4 Steady 0.0 574 0.4 Steady 0.0
Tierschutzpartei   567 0.3 Increase 0.1
ÖDP   417 0.3
FAMILIE 416 0.3 Steady 0.0
RENTNER 294 0.2
REP   175 0.1 Steady 0.0
RRP 107 0.1
Volksabstimmung 89 0.1 Steady 0.0
Centre   78 0.0 Steady 0.0
MLPD   39 0.0 Steady 0.0
DVU   38 0.0
PSG 19 0.0 Steady 0.0
BüSo 17 0.0 Steady 0.0
Informal votes 1,362 1,190
Total valid votes 162,559 162,731
Turnout 163,921 77.7 Decrease 5.3
CDU gain from SPD Majority 10,790 6.7

References

  1. ^ a b "Constituency Münster". Federal Returning Officer.
  2. ^ "Results for Münster". Federal Returning Officer.
  3. ^ Results for Münster
  4. ^ Results for Münster
  5. ^ Results for Münster
  6. ^ Results for Münster