Backnang – Schwäbisch Gmünd

Backnang – Schwäbisch Gmünd is an electoral constituency (German: Wahlkreis) represented in the Bundestag if it elects one member via first-past-the-post voting, which is not automatic anymore since 2023. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 269. It is located in northeastern Baden-Württemberg, comprising the western part of the Ostalbkreis district and the northern part of the Rems-Murr-Kreis district.^[1]

269 Backnang – Schwäbisch Gmünd
Electoral district for the Bundestag
Backnang – Schwäbisch Gmünd in 2025
State	Baden-Württemberg
Population	246,200 (2019)
Electorate	177,062 (2021)
Major settlements	Schwäbisch Gmünd Backnang Murrhardt
Area	838.7 km2
Current electoral district
Created	1965
Party	CDU
Member	Ingeborg Gräßle
Elected	2021, 2025

Backnang – Schwäbisch Gmünd was created for the 1965 federal election. Since 2021, it has been represented by Ingeborg Gräßle of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).^[2] In addition, 5th place Ricarda Lang was elected via her high rank on the state-wide party list of Alliance 90/The Greens, and in 2025, also Ruben Rupp (AfD).

Geography

Backnang – Schwäbisch Gmünd is located in northeastern Baden-Württemberg. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the municipalities of Abtsgmünd, Bartholomä, Böbingen an der Rems, Durlangen, Eschach, Göggingen, Gschwend, Heubach, Heuchlingen, Iggingen, Leinzell, Lorch, Mögglingen, Mutlangen, Obergröningen, Ruppertshofen, Schechingen, Schwäbisch Gmünd, Spraitbach, Täferrot, and Waldstetten from the Ostalbkreis district and the municipalities of Allmersbach im Tal, Althütte, Aspach, Auenwald, Backnang, Burgstetten, Großerlach, Kirchberg an der Murr, Murrhardt, Oppenweiler, Spiegelberg, Sulzbach an der Murr, and Weissach im Tal from the Rems-Murr-Kreis district.^[1]

History

Backnang – Schwäbisch Gmünd was created in 1965, then known as Schwäbisch Gmünd – Backnang. It acquired its current name in the 1980 election. In the 1965 through 1976 elections, it was constituency 175 in the numbering system. In the 1980 through 1998 elections, it was number 173. In the 2002 and 2005 elections, it was number 270. Since the 2009 election, it has been number 269.

Originally, the constituency comprised the districts of Schwäbisch Gmünd, Backnang, and parts of Schwäbisch Hall. It acquired its current borders in the 1980 election.

Election	No.	Name	Borders
1965	175	Schwäbisch Gmünd – Backnang	Schwäbisch Gmünd district Backnang district Schwäbisch Hall district
1969
1972
1976
1980	173	Backnang – Schwäbisch Gmünd	Ostalbkreis district (only Abtsgmünd, Bartholomä, Böbingen an der Rems, Durlangen, Eschach, Göggingen, Gschwend, Heubach, Heuchlingen, Iggingen, Leinzell, Lorch, Mögglingen, Mutlangen, Obergröningen, Ruppertshofen, Schechingen, Schwäbisch Gmünd, Spraitbach, Täferrot, and Waldstetten municipalities) Rems-Murr-Kreis district (only Allmersbach im Tal, Althütte, Aspach, Auenwald, Backnang, Burgstetten, Großerlach, Kirchberg an der Murr, Murrhardt, Oppenweiler, Spiegelberg, Sulzbach an der Murr, and Weissach im Tal municipalities)
1983
1987
1990
1994
1998
2002	270
2005
2009	269
2013
2017
2021
2025

Members

The constituency has been held continuously by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since its creation. It was first represented by Eugen Gerstenmaier from 1965 to 1969, followed by Dieter Schulte from 1969 to 1998, a total of eight consecutive terms. Norbert Barthle was representative from 1998 to 2021. He was succeeded by Ingeborg Gräßle in 2021 and 2025.

Other members of parliament, elected via party list: Robert Antretter (SPD, 1980-1994), Christian Lange (SPD, 1998-2021), Ricarda Lang (Greens, 2021, 2025) and Ruben Rupp (AfD, 2025).

Election		Member	Party	%
	1965	Eugen Gerstenmaier	CDU	50.1
	1969	Dieter Schulte	CDU	48.6
	1972			51.7
	1976			55.7
	1980			54.0
	1983			59.2
	1987			53.8
	1990			50.4
	1994			49.6
	1998	Norbert Barthle	CDU	41.8
	2002			47.7
	2005			48.8
	2009			44.7
	2013			55.4
	2017			41.2
	2021	Ingeborg Gräßle	CDU	30.5
	2025			36.6

Election results

2025 election

Federal election (2025): Backnang – Schwäbisch Gmünd[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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.
Party		Candidate		Votes	%	±%	Party votes	%	±%
	CDU	Y Ingeborg Gräßle		53,070	36.6	6.1	47,465	32.6	6.7
	AfD	Ruben Rupp		33,945	23.5	11.7	33,898	23.3	11.5
	SPD	Tim-Luka Schwab		23,853	16.4	7.9	20,169	13.8	7.8
	Greens	Ricarda Lang		15,498	10.7	0.9	15,531	10.7	3.1
	FDP	Ruben Hühnerbein		5,844	4.0	8.0	7,846	5.4	10.4
	Left	Nina Eisenmann		7,486	5.2	2.2	8,422	5.8	2.9
	dieBasis					2.7	566	0.4	1.9
	FW	Maximilian Schiebel		3,174	2.2	0.2	1,732	1.2	0.3
	Tierschutzpartei						1,243	0.9	0.4
	PARTEI	Carlo Geiger		2,040	1.4	0.3	809	0.6	0.5
	Pirates								0.4
	Team Todenhöfer								0.4
	Bündnis C						348	0.2	0.0
	ÖDP						287	0.5	0.1
	Volt						795	0.5	0.3
	BD						222	0.2
	Gesundheitsforschung								0.1
	Bürgerbewegung								0.4
	Humanists								0.1
	BSW						6,290	4.3
	MLPD	Marianne Kolb		230	0.2	0.1	62	0.0	0.0
Informal votes				1,272			727
Total valid votes				145,140			145,685
Turnout				146,412	83.4	6.4
	CDU hold		Majority			6.1

2021 election

Federal election (2021): Backnang – Schwäbisch Gmünd[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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.
Party		Candidate		Votes	%	±%	Party votes	%	±%
	CDU	Ingeborg Gräßle		41,176	30.5	10.7	34,991	25.8	9.3
	SPD	Tim-Luka Schwab		32,904	24.4	4.4	29,341	21.7	5.2
	FDP	David-Sebastian Hamm		16,198	12.0	3.9	21,397	15.8	3.4
	AfD	Andreas Wörner		15,802	11.7	1.5	15,979	11.8	2.6
	Greens	Ricarda Lang		15,587	11.5	0.3	18,579	13.7	2.3
	Left	Annette Keles		3,929	2.9	2.7	3,927	2.9	3.0
	dieBasis	Stefan Schmidt		3,673	2.7		3,114	2.3
	FW	Gabriele Regele		3,286	2.4		2,026	1.5	1.0
	Tierschutzpartei						1,646	1.2	0.3
	PARTEI	Michael Schoder		2,308	1.7		1,485	1.1	0.5
	Pirates						576	0.4	0.1
	Team Todenhöfer						477	0.4
	Bündnis C						370	0.3
	ÖDP						338	0.2	0.1
	Volt						271	0.2
	NPD						188	0.1	0.2
	Gesundheitsforschung						178	0.1
	Bürgerbewegung						168	0.1
	Humanists						124	0.1
	DiB						91	0.1	0.1
	MLPD	Marianne Kolb		138	0.1	0.1	70	0.1	0.0
	Bündnis 21						42	0.0
	LKR						31	0.0
	DKP						15	0.0	0.0
Informal votes				1,435			1,012
Total valid votes				135,001			135,424
Turnout				136,436	77.1	0.2
	CDU hold		Majority	8,272	6.1	15.1

2017 election

Federal election (2017): Backnang – Schwäbisch Gmünd[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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.
Party		Candidate		Votes	%	±%	Party votes	%	±%
	CDU	Y Norbert Barthle		55,595	41.2	14.1	47,588	35.2	13.2
	SPD	Christian Lange		26,971	20.0	4.8	22,298	16.5	3.9
	AfD	Daniel Lindenschmid		17,788	13.2		19,438	14.4	8.7
	Greens	Melanie Lang		15,216	11.3	3.1	15,482	11.4	2.4
	FDP	Gudrun Senta Wilhelm		10,882	8.1	5.3	16,717	12.4	6.6
	Left	Alexander Relea-Linder		7,581	5.6	1.6	7,999	5.9	1.7
	Tierschutzpartei						1,189	0.9	0.1
	PARTEI						859	0.6
	Pirates						719	0.5	1.6
	FW						690	0.5	0.2
	ÖDP						465	0.3	0.0
	NPD	Marina Djonovic		489	0.4	1.6	462	0.3	0.9
	DM						265	0.2
	Tierschutzallianz						248	0.2
	BGE						210	0.2
	DiB						205	0.2
	V-Partei³						161	0.1
	Menschliche Welt						159	0.1
	MLPD	Marianne Kolb		279	0.2		91	0.1	0.0
	DIE RECHTE						44	0.0
	DKP						22	0.0
Informal votes				1,916			1,406
Total valid votes				134,801			135,311
Turnout				136,717	77.3	3.0
	CDU hold		Majority	28,624	21.2	9.4

2013 election

Federal election (2013): Backnang – Schwäbisch Gmünd[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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.
Party		Candidate		Votes	%	±%	Party votes	%	±%
	CDU	Y Norbert Barthle		70,748	55.4	10.6	62,236	48.4	13.0
	SPD	Christian Lange		31,673	24.8	0.1	26,198	20.4	0.8
	Greens	Michael Straub		10,439	8.2	2.1	11,657	9.1	3.5
	Left	Jörg Drechsel		5,079	4.0	2.6	5,454	4.2	2.9
	Pirates	Sebastian Staudenmaier		3,856	3.0		2,761	2.1	0.4
	FDP	Lisa Strotbek		3,541	2.8	7.6	7,420	5.8	12.8
	AfD						7,268	5.7
	NPD	Benno Grunert		2,451	1.9	0.0	1,587	1.2	0.0
	Tierschutzpartei						1,011	0.8	0.2
	REP						547	0.4	0.9
	PBC						514	0.4	0.3
	FW						433	0.3
	ÖDP						424	0.3	0.1
	RENTNER						402	0.3
	Volksabstimmung						245	0.2	0.0
	Party of Reason						169	0.1
	PRO						122	0.1
	MLPD						76	0.1	0.0
	BIG						55	0.0
	BüSo						29	0.0	0.0
Informal votes				2,468			1,647
Total valid votes				127,787			128,608
Turnout				130,255	74.2	2.5
	CDU hold		Majority	39,075	30.6	10.8

2009 election

Federal election (2009): Backnang – Schwäbisch Gmünd[7]
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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.
Party		Candidate		Votes	%	±%	Party votes	%	±%
	CDU	Y Norbert Barthle		55,492	44.7	4.1	44,068	35.4	5.7
	SPD	Christian Lange		30,902	24.9	9.8	24,289	19.5	11.0
	FDP	Markus Fischer		12,822	10.3	5.8	23,060	18.5	7.7
	Greens	Ulrike Sturm		12,749	10.3	3.3	15,606	12.5	3.3
	Left	Manfred Steidle		8,177	6.6	3.3	8,840	7.1	3.6
	Pirates						2,229	1.8
	REP						1,608	1.3	0.1
	NPD	Torsten Ziegler		2,404	1.9	0.3	1,578	1.3	0.1
	PBC	Markus Grammel		1,240	1.0		909	0.7	0.1
	Tierschutzpartei						777	0.6
	ÖDP						533	0.4
	DIE VIOLETTEN						329	0.3
	Independent	Matthias Riebesam		311	0.3
	Volksabstimmung						276	0.2
	MLPD						92	0.1	0.0
	DVU						83	0.1
	BüSo						79	0.1	0.0
	ADM						56	0.0
Informal votes				2,504			2,189
Total valid votes				124,097			124,412
Turnout				126,601	71.8	6.2
	CDU hold		Majority	24,590	19.8	5.7