Neuwied (electoral district)

Neuwied 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 196. It is located in northern Rhineland-Palatinate, comprising the districts of Neuwied and Altenkirchen.^[1]

196 Neuwied
Electoral district for the Bundestag
Neuwied in 2025
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
Population	311,600 (2019)
Electorate	236,097 (2025)
Major settlements	Neuwied Betzdorf
Area	1,269.4 km2
Current electoral district
Created	1949
Party	CDU
Member	Ellen Demuth
Elected	2025

Neuwied was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. Since 2025, it has been represented by Ellen Demuth of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).^[2]

Geography

Neuwied is located in northern Rhineland-Palatinate. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the districts of Neuwied and Altenkirchen.^[1]

History

Neuwied was created in 1949, then known as Altenkirchen (Westerwald). It acquired its current name in the 1965 election. In the 1949 election, it was Rhineland-Palatinate constituency 1 in the numbering system. In the 1953 through 1976 elections, it was number 148. In the 1980 through 1998 elections, it was number 146. In the 2002 election, it was number 200. In the 2005 election, it was number 199. In the 2009 and 2013 elections, it was number 198. In the 2017 and 2021 elections, it was number 197. From the 2025 election, it has been number 196. Its borders have not changed since its creation.

Election	No.	Name	Borders
1949	1	Altenkirchen (Westerwald)	Altenkirchen district Neuwied district
1953	148
1957
1961
1965		Neuwied
1969
1972
1976
1980	146
1983
1987
1990
1994
1998
2002	200
2005	199
2009	198
2013
2017	197
2021
2025	196

Members

The constituency was first represented by Franz-Josef Wuermeling of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1949 to 1969. He was succeeded by fellow CDU member Walter Hallstein for a single term before the constituency was won by Klaus Immer of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Heinz Schwarz regained it for the CDU after one term in 1976, and was representative until 1990. Ulrich Schmalz of the CDU served from 1990 to 1998. Ludwig Eich of the SPD was elected in 1998 and served a single term before being succeeded by fellow SPD member Sabine Bätzing until 2005. Erwin Rüddel of the CDU was elected in 2009, and re-elected in 2013, 2017, and 2021. Ellen Demuth retained the seat for the CDU in 2025.

Election		Member	Party	%
	1949	Franz-Josef Wuermeling	CDU	53.6
	1953			56.2
	1957			57.6
	1961			53.1
	1965			54.3
	1969	Walter Hallstein	CDU	51.2
	1972	Klaus Immer	SPD	46.9
	1976	Heinz Schwarz	CDU	50.4
	1980			46.7
	1983			53.7
	1987			49.0
	1990	Ulrich Schmalz	CDU	47.8
	1994			46.9
	1998	Ludwig Eich	SPD	45.5
	2002	Sabine Bätzing	SPD	44.9
	2005			44.3
	2009	Erwin Rüddel	CDU	39.2
	2013			46.9
	2017			43.2
	2021			31.9
	2025	Ellen Demuth	CDU	35.6

Election results

2025 election

Federal election (2025): Neuwied[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	Ellen Demuth		68,501	35.6	3.7	62,297	32.3	5.5
	AfD	Andreas Bleck		40,363	21.0	11.6	41,996	21.7	12.0
	SPD	Jan Hellinghausen		42,315	22.0	8.2	35,679	18.5	11.5
	Greens	Thorben Thieme		11,919	6.2	3.0	15,674	8.1	2.4
	Left	Julia Eudenbach		9,691	5.0	2.3	11,694	6.1	3.1
	BSW	Nalan Özcan		6,443	3.3	New	8,986	4.7	New
	FDP	Sandra Weeser		6,858	3.6	5.3	8,488	4.4	7.1
	FW	Carsten Zeuch		4,345	2.3	2.2	3,234	1.7	1.6
	Tierschutzpartei						2,373	1.2	0.2
	Volt	René Krämer		1,955	1.0	New	1,178	0.6	0.3
	PARTEI						911	0.5	0.5
	BD						299	0.2	New
	ÖDP						239	0.1	0.0
	MLPD						52	<0.1	0.0
Informal votes				1,937			1,227
Total valid votes				192,390			193,100
Turnout				194,327	82.3	5.9
	CDU hold		Majority	26,186	13.6	11.9

2021 election

Federal election (2021): Neuwied[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	Y Erwin Rüddel		57,430	31.9	11.2	48,338	26.8	11.4
	SPD	Martin Diedenhofen		54,320	30.2	1.6	54,018	30.0	4.6
	AfD	Andreas Bleck		16,810	9.4	0.2	17,504	9.7	1.1
	Greens	Kevin Lenz		16,559	9.2	3.9	18,930	10.5	4.5
	FDP	Sandra Weeser		15,931	8.9	2.7	20,751	11.5	1.4
	FW	Marianne Altgeld		8,032	4.5	2.6	5,860	3.3	2.1
	Left	Jochen Bülow		5,005	2.8	2.6	5,417	3.0	3.3
	Tierschutzpartei						2,546	1.4
	PARTEI	Christian Link		2,776	1.5		1,746	1.0	0.1
	dieBasis	Klaus Asbach		2,177	1.2		2,286	1.3
	Team Todenhöfer						692	0.4
	Pirates						701	0.4	0.0
	Independent	Norbert Schmitt		545	0.3
	Volt						540	0.3
	ÖDP						245	0.1	0.1
	NPD						214	0.1	0.1
	Independent	Markus Erdmann		194	0.1
	Humanists						153	0.1
	V-Partei3						152	0.1	0.1
	DiB						99	0.1
	LKR						70	0.0
	MLPD						31	0.0	0.0
Informal votes				2,058			1,544
Total valid votes				179,779			180,293
Turnout				181,837	76.4	0.5
	CDU hold		Majority	3,110	1.7	12.8

2017 election

Federal election (2017): Neuwied[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 Erwin Rüddel		76,933	43.2	3.7	68,357	38.2	7.4
	SPD	Martin Diedenhofen		50,996	28.6	8.6	45,447	25.4	3.2
	AfD	Andreas Bleck		16,954	9.5		19,273	10.8	5.6
	FDP	Sandra Weeser		10,898	6.1	3.8	18,071	10.1	5.4
	Left	Jochen Bülow		9,521	5.3	0.8	11,338	6.3	1.1
	Greens	Anna Neuhof		9,449	5.3	1.3	10,738	6.0	0.2
	FW	Sascha Müller		3,285	1.8	0.0	1,982	1.1	0.1
	PARTEI						1,495	0.8
	Pirates						726	0.4	1.5
	NPD						480	0.3	0.7
	V-Partei³						396	0.2
	ÖDP						374	0.2	0.0
	BGE						297	0.2
	MLPD	Johann-Albrecht Rommel		169	0.1		86	0.0	0.0
Informal votes				3,402			2,547
Total valid votes				178,205			179,060
Turnout				181,607	75.9	3.7
	CDU hold		Majority	25,937	14.6	5.0

2013 election

Federal election (2013): Neuwied[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 Erwin Rüddel		79,785	46.9	7.7	78,005	45.6	9.5
	SPD	Sabine Bätzing-Lichtenthäler		63,453	37.3	0.8	48,866	28.6	3.7
	Left	Jochen Bülow		7,655	4.5	2.2	8,965	5.2	3.8
	Greens	Elisabeth Bröskamp		6,779	4.0	1.7	10,661	6.2	2.0
	AfD						8,759	5.1
	FDP	Sandra Weeser		3,906	2.3	8.3	8,023	4.7	12.2
	Pirates	Peter König		3,418	2.0		3,249	1.9	0.3
	FW	Oliver Weihrauch		3,114	1.8		1,657	1.0
	NPD	Uwe Weber		2,179	1.3	0.2	1,610	0.9	0.1
	PRO						355	0.2
	Party of Reason						354	0.2
	ÖDP						322	0.2	0.0
	REP						262	0.2	0.3
	MLPD						68	0.0	0.0
Informal votes				3,247			2,380
Total valid votes				170,289			171,156
Turnout				173,536	72.2	1.0
	CDU hold		Majority	16,332	9.6	6.8

2009 election

Federal election (2009): Neuwied[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	Erwin Rüddel		66,214	39.2	4.3	61,307	36.0	2.6
	SPD	N Sabine Bätzing		61,544	36.4	7.8	42,279	24.9	10.9
	FDP	Elke Hoff		17,881	10.6	6.6	28,754	16.9	5.7
	Left	Olcay Kanmaz		11,331	6.7	2.8	15,360	9.0	3.9
	Greens	Hildegard Lingnau		9,518	5.6	3.3	14,005	8.2	2.1
	Pirates						2,758	1.6
	NPD	Christian Bieler		2,438	1.4	0.4	1,820	1.1	0.1
	FAMILIE						1,548	0.9	0.0
	PBC						1,022	0.6	0.2
	REP						689	0.4	0.0
	ÖDP						327	0.2
	DVU						123	0.1
	MLPD						72	0.0	0.0
Informal votes				3,873			2,735
Total valid votes				168,926			170,064
Turnout				172,799	71.2	7.2
	CDU gain from SPD		Majority	4,670	2.8