Harz (electoral district)
{{Short description|Federal electoral district of Germany}}
{{Infobox constituency
|name = 68 Harz
|constituency_type = electoral district
|constituency_link = Harz (electoral district)
|parl_name = Bundestag
|image = File:Bundestagswahlkreis 68-2025.svg
|caption = Harz in 2025
|region_label = State
|region = Saxony-Anhalt
|population = 248,200 (2019)
|electorate = 207,942 (2021)
|towns = Halberstadt
Wernigerode
Aschersleben
|area = 2,339.9 km2
|year = 1990
|party = AfD
|local_council_label = Member
|local_council = Christina Baum
|blank1_name = Elected
|blank1_info = 2025
}}
Harz 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 68. It is located in western Saxony-Anhalt, comprising the district of Harz.{{cite web|url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/bundestagswahlen/2025/wahlkreiseinteilung/bund-99/land-15/wahlkreis-68.html|title=Constituency Harz|publisher=Federal Returning Officer}}
Harz was created for the inaugural 1990 federal election after German reunification. From 2009 to 2020, it has been represented by Heike Brehmer of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).{{cite web|url=https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2021/ergebnisse/bund-99/land-15/wahlkreis-68.html|title=Results for Harz|publisher=Federal Returning Officer}} Since 2025 it is been represented by Christina Baum of the AfD.
Geography
Harz is located in western Saxony-Anhalt. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the entirety of the Harz district as well as the municipalities of Aschersleben and Seeland from the Salzlandkreis district.
History
Harz was created after German reunification in 1990, then known as Harz and Vorharzgebiet. It acquired its current name in the 2002 election. In the 1990 through 1998 elections, it was constituency 285 in the numbering system. In the 2002 and 2005 elections, it was number 68. In the 2009 election, it was number 69. Since the 2013 election, it has been number 68.
Originally, the constituency comprised the districts of Wernigerode, Oschersleben, and Halberstadt. In the 2002 and 2005 elections, it comprised the districts of Halberstadt, Quedlinburg, and Wernigerode. It acquired its current configuration and borders in the 2009 election.
| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
! Election ! {{abbr|No.|Constituency number}} ! width=125px| Name ! width=300px| Borders |
| 1990
| rowspan=3| 285 | rowspan=3| Harz and Vorharzgebiet | rowspan=3|
|
|---|
| 1994 |
| 1998 |
| 2002
| rowspan=2| 68 | rowspan=7| Harz | rowspan=2|
|
| 2005 |
| 2009
| 69 | rowspan=5|
|
| 2013
| rowspan=4| 68 |
| 2017 |
| 2021 |
| 2025 |
Members
The constituency was first represented by Monika Brudlewsky of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1990 to 1998. Tobias Marhold of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) was elected in 1998 and served until 2005, followed by Andreas Steppuhn until 2009. Heike Brehmer of the CDU became representative in 2009, and was re-elected in 2013, 2017, and 2021.
| class=wikitable
! colspan=2| Election ! Member ! Party ! % |
| rowspan=2 bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|
| 1990 | rowspan=2| Monika Brudlewsky | rowspan=2| CDU | align=right| 43.7 |
| 1994
| align=right| 40.9 |
| rowspan=2 bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}|
| 1998 | rowspan=2| Tobias Marhold | rowspan=2| SPD | align=right| 44.1 |
| 2002
| align=right| 44.9 |
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}|
| 2005 | SPD | align=right| 33.8 |
| rowspan=4 bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|
| 2009 | rowspan=4| Heike Brehmer | rowspan=4| CDU | align=right| 33.0 |
| 2013
| align=right| 46.0 |
| 2017
| align=right| 36.4 |
| 2021
| align=right| 27.7 |
| bgcolor="{{party color|Alternative for Germany}}" |
| 2025 | AfD | align=right| 39.0 |
Election results
=2025 election=
{{MMP election box begin
|title=Federal election (2025): Harz[https://bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2025/ergebnisse/bund-99/land-15/wahlkreis-68.html. Results for Harz]
}}
{{MMP election box list win|
|party = Alternative for Germany
|candidate = Christina Baum
|votes = 59,306
|percentage = 39.0
|change = {{increase}} 20.8
|party votes = 56,490
|party percent = 37.0
|party change = {{increase}} 18.9
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|candidate = Artjom Pusch
|votes = 35,708
|percentage = 23.5
|change = {{decrease}} 4.2
|party votes = 29,903
|party percent = 19.6
|party change = {{decrease}} 2.7
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance
|party votes = 17,890
|party percent = 11.7
|party change = New
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Florian Fahrtmann
|votes = 21,243
|percentage = 14.0
|change = {{decrease}} 11.5
|party votes = 17,601
|party percent = 11.5
|party change = {{decrease}} 15.7
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = The Left (Germany)
|candidate = Karsten Lippmann
|votes = 18,076
|percentage = 11.9
|change = {{increase}} 1.4
|party votes = 15,487
|party percent = 10.1
|party change = {{increase}} 0.9
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Alliance 90/The Greens
|candidate = Kathrin Grub
|votes = 4,958
|percentage = 3.3
|change = {{decrease}} 1.4
|party votes = 5,858
|party percent = 3.8
|party change = {{decrease}} 1.6
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Free Voters
|candidate = André Weber
|votes = 4,377
|percentage = 2.9
|change = {{decrease}} 0.8
|party votes = 2,180
|party percent = 1.4
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.6
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)
|candidate = Max Schröder
|votes = 3,405
|percentage = 2.2
|change = {{decrease}} 5.1
|party votes = 4,178
|party percent = 2.7
|party change = {{decrease}} 6.4
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Bündnis Deutschland
|candidate = Kathrin Schreck
|votes = 2,618
|percentage = 1.7
|change = New
|party votes = 834
|party percent = 0.5
|party change = New
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Die PARTEI
|candidate = Daniel Lüdemann-Johr
|votes = 2,332
|percentage = 1.5
|change = New
|party votes = 1,528
|party percent = 1.0
|party change = {{increase}} 0.3
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Volt Germany
|party votes = 721
|party percent = 0.5
|party change = {{increase}} 0.3
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
|party votes = 153
|party percent = 0.1
|party change = {{steady}} 0.0
}}
{{MMP election box informal vote|
|votes = 2,049
|party votes = 1,249
}}
{{MMP election box total vote|
|votes = 152,023
|party votes = 152,823
}}
{{MMP election box turnout|
|turnout = 154,072
|percentage = 77.0
|change = {{increase}} 10.3
}}
{{MMP election box majority gain|
|winner = Alternative for Germany
|loser = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|votes = 23,598
|percent = 15.5
|change = N/A
}}
=2021 election=
{{MMP election box begin
|title=Federal election (2021): Harz[https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2017/ergebnisse/bund-99/land-15/wahlkreis-68.html Results for Harz]
}}
{{MMP election box incumbent win|
|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|candidate = Heike Brehmer
|votes = 37,884
|percentage = 27.7
|change = {{decrease}} 8.7
|party votes = 30,508
|party percent = 22.3
|party change = {{decrease}} 11.4
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Maik Berger
|votes = 34,812
|percentage = 25.4
|change = {{increase}} 7.9
|party votes = 37,330
|party percent = 27.2
|party change = {{increase}} 11.0
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Alternative for Germany
|candidate = Sören Stefanowicz
|votes = 24,947
|percentage = 18.2
|change = {{increase}} 2.1
|party votes = 24,790
|party percent = 18.1
|party change = {{increase}} 1.2
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = The Left (Germany)
|candidate = Karsten Lippmann
|votes = 14,413
|percentage = 10.5
|change = {{decrease}} 8.7
|party votes = 12,700
|party percent = 9.3
|party change = {{decrease}} 8.4
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)
|candidate = Denise Köcke
|votes = 10,064
|percentage = 7.4
|change = {{increase}} 2.4
|party votes = 12,532
|party percent = 9.1
|party change = {{increase}} 2.1
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Alliance 90/The Greens
|candidate = Wolfgang Strauhs
|votes = 6,320
|percentage = 4.6
|change = {{increase}} 1.5
|party votes = 7,495
|party percent = 5.5
|party change = {{increase}} 2.0
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Free Voters
|candidate = Carlo Gottschalk
|votes = 4,972
|percentage = 3.6
|change = {{increase}} 1.3
|party votes = 2,840
|party percent = 2.1
|party change = {{increase}} 0.9
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Uwe Rohrbeck
|votes = 3,160
|percentage = 2.3
|change =
|party votes = 2,621
|party percent = 1.9
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Human Environment Animal Protection
|party votes = 1,736
|party percent = 1.3
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Alliance for Human Rights, Animal and Nature Protection
|party votes = 1,480
|party percent = 1.1
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.5
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Die PARTEI
|party votes = 934
|party percent = 0.7
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.3
}}
{{MMP election box historic party only|
|party = Gartenpartei
|color = #004800
|party votes = 758
|party percent = 0.6
|party change = {{increase}} 0.2
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Pirate Party Germany
|party votes = 435
|party percent = 0.3
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = National Democratic Party of Germany
|party votes = 296
|party percent = 0.2
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.4
}}
{{MMP election box independent|
|candidate = Thomas Barth
|votes = 272
|percentage = 0.2
|change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Volt Germany
|party votes = 178
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Party of Humanists
|party votes = 129
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Die Urbane. Eine HipHop Partei
|party votes = 119
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
|party votes = 91
|party percent = 0.1
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Ecological Democratic Party
|party votes = 78
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box informal vote|
|votes = 1,728
|party votes = 1,522
}}
{{MMP election box total vote|
|votes = 136,844
|party votes = 137,050
}}
{{MMP election box turnout|
|turnout = 138,572
|percentage = 66.6
|change = {{increase}} 0.1
}}
{{MMP election box majority hold|
|winner = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|loser =
|votes = 3,072
|percent = 2.3
|change = {{decrease}} 14.9
}}
=2017 election=
{{MMP election box begin
|title=Federal election (2017): Harz[https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2017/ergebnisse/bund-99/land-15/wahlkreis-68.html Results for Harz]
}}
{{MMP election box incumbent win|
|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|candidate = Heike Brehmer
|votes = 51,386
|percentage = 36.4
|change = {{decrease}} 9.6
|party votes = 47,574
|party percent = 33.6
|party change = {{decrease}} 9.9
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = The Left (Germany)
|candidate = Evelyn Edler
|votes = 27,104
|percentage = 19.2
|change = {{decrease}} 3.8
|party votes = 25,069
|party percent = 17.7
|party change = {{decrease}} 5.2
}}
{{MMP election box candidate list|
|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Eberhard Brecht{{efn|Brecht entered the Bundestag on the SPD list after the resignation of Burkhard Lischka in October 2019.}}
|votes = 24,767
|percentage = 17.5
|change = {{decrease}} 1.6
|party votes = 22,915
|party percent = 16.2
|party change = {{decrease}} 2.6
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Alternative for Germany
|candidate = Frank-Ronald Bischoff
|votes = 22,792
|percentage = 16.1
|change =
|party votes = 23,860
|party percent = 16.9
|party change = {{increase}} 13.1
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)
|candidate = Denise Köcke
|votes = 6,923
|percentage = 4.9
|change = {{increase}} 3.5
|party votes = 9,902
|party percent = 7.0
|party change = {{increase}} 4.7
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Alliance 90/The Greens
|candidate = Susan Sziborra-Seidlitz
|votes = 4,462
|percentage = 3.2
|change = {{decrease}} 0.6
|party votes = 4,968
|party percent = 3.5
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Free Voters
|candidate = Dieter Kühn
|votes = 3,253
|percentage = 2.3
|change = {{increase}} 1.5
|party votes = 1,648
|party percent = 1.2
|party change = {{increase}} 0.5
}}
{{MMP election box historic party only|
|party = Tierschutzallianz
|color =
|party votes = 2,176
|party percent = 1.5
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Die PARTEI
|party votes = 1,344
|party percent = 0.9
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = National Democratic Party of Germany
|party votes = 868
|party percent = 0.6
|party change = {{decrease}} 1.4
}}
{{MMP election box historic party only|
|party = MG
|color =
|party votes = 445
|party percent = 0.3
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Basic Income Alliance
|party votes = 365
|party percent = 0.3
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box historic party only|
|party = DiB
|color = #263D80
|party votes = 213
|party percent = 0.2
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
|candidate = Frank Oettler
|votes = 441
|percentage = 0.3
|change =
|party votes = 184
|party percent = 0.1
|party change = {{steady}} 0.0
}}
{{MMP election box informal vote|
|votes = 2,439
|party votes = 2,036
}}
{{MMP election box total vote|
|votes = 141,128
|party votes = 141,531
}}
{{MMP election box turnout|
|turnout = 143,567
|percentage = 66.6
|change = {{increase}} 7.7
}}
{{MMP election box majority hold|
|winner = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|votes = 24,282
|percent = 17.2
|change = {{decrease}} 5.8
}}
=2013 election=
{{MMP election box begin
|title=Federal election (2013): Harz[https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2013/ergebnisse/bund-99/land-15/wahlkreis-68.html Results for Harz]
}}
{{MMP election box incumbent win|
|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|candidate = Heike Brehmer
|votes = 59,779
|percentage = 46.0
|change = {{increase}} 13.0
|party votes = 56,619
|party percent = 43.5
|party change = {{increase}} 12.1
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = The Left (Germany)
|candidate = Elke Reinke
|votes = 29,860
|percentage = 23.0
|change = {{decrease}} 8.1
|party votes = 29,875
|party percent = 22.9
|party change = {{decrease}} 9.3
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Mario Hennig
|votes = 24,875
|percentage = 19.1
|change = {{decrease}} 1.2
|party votes = 24,407
|party percent = 18.7
|party change = {{increase}} 1.6
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Alternative for Germany
|party votes = 4,924
|party percent = 3.8
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Alliance 90/The Greens
|candidate = Sabine Wetzel
|votes = 4,928
|percentage = 3.8
|change = {{decrease}} 1.7
|party votes = 4,716
|party percent = 3.6
|party change = {{decrease}} 1.4
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = National Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Michael Grunzel
|votes = 3,304
|percentage = 2.5
|change = {{decrease}} 0.2
|party votes = 2,651
|party percent = 2.0
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.3
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Pirate Party Germany
|candidate = Henning Lübbers
|votes = 2,556
|percentage = 2.0
|change =
|party votes = 2,255
|party percent = 1.7
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.3
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)
|candidate = Detlef Ebert
|votes = 1,852
|percentage = 1.4
|change = {{decrease}} 5.8
|party votes = 2,961
|party percent = 2.3
|party change = {{decrease}} 7.1
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Human Environment Animal Protection
|party votes = 1,679
|party percent = 1.3
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Free Voters
|candidate = Ethel-Maria Muschalle-Höllbach
|votes = 1,111
|percentage = 0.9
|change =
|party votes = 929
|party percent = 0.7
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box historic party only|
|party = PRO
|party votes = 433
|party percent = 0.3
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Ecological Democratic Party
|party votes = 293
|party percent = 0.2
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
|party votes = 136
|party percent = 0.1
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1
}}
{{MMP election box informal vote|
|votes = 2,595
|party votes = 2,340
}}
{{MMP election box total vote|
|votes = 129,944
|party votes = 130,199
}}
{{MMP election box turnout|
|turnout = 132,539
|percentage = 58.9
|change = {{decrease}} 2.0
}}
{{MMP election box majority hold|
|winner = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|votes = 29,919
|percent = 23.0
|change = {{increase}} 21.1
}}
=2009 election=
{{MMP election box begin
|title=Federal election (2009): Harz[https://web.archive.org/web/20110617064844/http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/de/bundestagswahlen/BTW_BUND_09/ergebnisse/wahlkreisergebnisse/l15/wk069/ Results for Harz]
}}
{{MMP election box candidate win|
|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|candidate = Heike Brehmer
|votes = 46,632
|percentage = 33.0
|change = {{increase}} 6.0
|party votes = 44,402
|party percent = 31.3
|party change = {{increase}} 6.4
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = The Left (Germany)
|candidate = Elke Reinke
|votes = 43,952
|percentage = 31.1
|change = {{increase}} 4.8
|party votes = 45,676
|party percent = 32.2
|party change = {{increase}} 5.9
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Andreas Steppuhn
|votes = 28,732
|percentage = 20.3
|change = {{decrease}} 14.0
|party votes = 24,320
|party percent = 17.2
|party change = {{decrease}} 16.7
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)
|candidate = Wolfgang Döcke
|votes = 10,236
|percentage = 7.2
|change = {{increase}} 1.9
|party votes = 13,274
|party percent = 9.4
|party change = {{increase}} 2.0
}}
{{MMP election box candidate list|
|party = Alliance 90/The Greens
|candidate = Undine Kurth
|votes = 7,791
|percentage = 5.5
|change = {{increase}} 1.7
|party votes = 7,141
|party percent = 5.0
|party change = {{increase}} 1.2
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = National Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Matthias Heyder
|votes = 3,862
|percentage = 2.7
|change = {{decrease}} 0.2
|party votes = 3,277
|party percent = 2.3
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.2
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Pirate Party Germany
|party votes = 2,897
|party percent = 2.0
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = German People's Union
|party votes = 345
|party percent = 0.2
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
|party votes = 309
|party percent = 0.2
|party change = {{steady}} 0.0
}}
{{MMP election box informal vote|
|votes = 3,135
|party votes = 2,699
}}
{{MMP election box total vote|
|votes = 141,205
|party votes = 141,641
}}
{{MMP election box turnout|
|turnout = 144,340
|percentage = 60.9
|change = {{decrease}} 10.2
}}
{{MMP election box majority gain|
|winner = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|loser = Social Democratic Party of Germany
|votes = 2,680
|percent = 1.9
|change =
}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Electoral districts of Saxony-Anhalt}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harz (electoral district)}}
Category:Federal electoral districts in Saxony-Anhalt