Mittelems (electoral district)
{{Short description|Federal electoral district of Germany}}
{{Infobox constituency
|name = 31 Mittelems
|constituency_type = electoral district
|constituency_link = Mittelems (electoral district)
|parl_name = Bundestag
|image = File:Bundestagswahlkreis 31-2025.svg
|caption = Mittelems in 2025
|region_label = State
|region = Lower Saxony
|population = 313,500 (2019)
|electorate = 233,253 (2021)
|area = 2,353.4 km2
|year = 1980
|party = CDU
|local_council_label = Member
|local_council = Albert Stegemann
|blank1_name = Elected
|blank1_info = 2013, 2017, 2021, 2025
}}
Mittelems 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 31. It is located in western Lower Saxony, comprising the Grafschaft Bentheim district and the southern part of the Emsland district.{{cite web|url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/bundestagswahlen/2025/wahlkreiseinteilung/bund-99/land-3/wahlkreis-31.html|title=Constituency Mittelems|publisher=Federal Returning Officer}}
Mittelems was created for the 1980 federal election. Since 2013, it has been represented by Albert Stegemann of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).{{cite web|url=https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2021/ergebnisse/bund-99/land-3/wahlkreis-31.html|title=Results for Mittelems|publisher=Federal Returning Officer}}
Geography
Mittelems is located in western Lower Saxony. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the entirety of the Grafschaft Bentheim district and the southern part of the Emsland district, specifically the municipalities of Emsbüren, Geeste, Haselünne, Lingen, Meppen, and Salzbergen, as well as the Samtgemeinden of Freren, Herzlake, Lengerich, and Spelle.
History
Mittelems was created in 1980 and contained parts of the abolished constituencies of Emsland and Lingen. Until the 2002 election, it was constituency number 26. From then until 2013, it was constituency 32. Since 2013, it has been constituency 31. Its borders have not changed since its creation.
Members
The constituency has been held continuously by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since its creation. Its first representative was Burkhard Ritz, who served a single term. He was succeeded by Hans-Gerd Strube, who served until 1994, followed by Hermann Kues. In 2013, Albert Stegemann was elected representative. He was re-elected in 2017 and 2021.
| class=wikitable
! colspan=2| Election ! Member ! Party ! % |
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|
| 1980 | CDU | align=right| 54.4 |
| rowspan=3 bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|
| 1983 | rowspan=3| Hans-Gerd Strube | rowspan=3| CDU | align=right| 60.0 |
| 1987
| align=right| 54.8 |
| 1990
| align=right| 57.2 |
| rowspan=5 bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|
| 1994 | rowspan=5| Hermann Kues | rowspan=5| CDU | align=right| 57.0 |
| 1998
| align=right| 53.3 |
| 2002
| align=right| 53.3 |
| 2005
| align=right| 55.6 |
| 2009
| align=right| 54.6 |
| rowspan=4 bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|
| 2013 | rowspan=4| Albert Stegemann | rowspan=4| CDU | align=right| 59.0 |
| 2017
| align=right| 53.6 |
| 2021
| align=right| 40.5 |
| 2025
| align=right| 43.8 |
Election results
=2025 election=
{{MMP election box begin
|title=Federal election (2025): Mittelems[https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/bundestagswahlen/2025/ergebnisse/bund-99/land-3/wahlkreis-31.html Results for Mittelems]
}}
{{MMP election box incumbent win|
|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|candidate = Albert Stegemann
|votes = 86,795
|percentage = 43.8
|change = {{increase}} 3.3
|party votes = 78,008
|party percent = 39.3
|party change = {{increase}} 5.4
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Daniela De Ridder
|votes = 48,525
|percentage = 24.5
|change = {{decrease}} 4.7
|party votes = 42,166
|party percent = 21.2
|party change = {{decrease}} 9.7
}}
{{MMP election box candidate list|
|party = Alternative for Germany
|candidate = Danny Meiners
|votes = 27,994
|percentage = 14.1
|change = {{increase}} 9.1
|party votes = 28,483
|party percent = 14.3
|party change = {{increase}} 9.2
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Alliance 90/The Greens
|candidate = Jeremy Zgrzebski
|votes = 14,462
|percentage = 7.3
|change = {{decrease}} 5.3
|party votes = 17,256
|party percent = 8.7
|party change = {{decrease}} 3.9
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = The Left (Germany)
|candidate = Dirk Wörsdörfer
|votes = 10,171
|percentage = 5.1
|change = {{increase}} 2.9
|party votes = 12,609
|party percent = 6.3
|party change = {{increase}} 4.1
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)
|candidate = Jens Beeck
|votes = 6,904
|percentage = 3.5
|change = {{decrease}} 6.3
|party votes = 8,921
|party percent = 4.5
|party change = {{decrease}} 7.3
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance
|party votes = 5,817
|party percent = 2.9
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Human Environment Animal Protection
|party votes = 1,618
|party percent = 0.8
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Free Voters
|candidate = Eva Maria Wintering
|votes = 2,833
|percentage = 1,4
|change =
|party votes = 1,267
|party percent = 0.6
|party change = {{increase}} 0.2
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Die PARTEI
|party votes = 764
|party percent = 0.4
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.5
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Volt Germany
|party votes = 729
|party percent = 0.4
|party change = {{increase}} 0.2
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany
|party votes = 336
|party percent = 0.2
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.4
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Bündnis Deutschland
|candidate = Ingo Dorendorf
|votes = 635
|percentage = 0.3
|change =
|party votes = 287
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Pirate Party Germany
|party votes = 222
|party percent = 0.1
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Party of Humanists
|party votes = 103
|party percent = 0.1
|party change = {{unchanged}} 0.0
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
|party votes = 28
|party percent = 0.0
|party change = {{unchanged}} 0.0
}}
{{MMP election box informal vote|
|votes = 1,210
|party votes = 915
}}
{{MMP election box total vote|
|votes = 198,319
|party votes = 198,614
}}
{{MMP election box turnout|
|turnout = 199,529
|percentage = 85.3
|change = {{increase}} 7.9
}}
{{MMP election box majority hold|
|winner = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|loser =
|votes = 38,270
|percent = 19.3
|change = {{increase}} 8.0
}}
=2021 election=
{{MMP election box begin
|title=Federal election (2021): Mittelems[https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2021/ergebnisse/bund-99/land-3/wahlkreis-31.html Results for Mittelems]
}}
{{MMP election box incumbent win|
|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|candidate = Albert Stegemann
|votes = 72,523
|percentage = 40.5
|change = {{decrease}} 13.2
|party votes = 60,733
|party percent = 33.8
|party change = {{decrease}} 15.5
}}
{{MMP election box candidate list|
|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Daniela De Ridder{{efn|De Ridder entered the Bundestag on the SPD list after the resignation of Yasmin Fahimi in May 2022.}}
|votes = 52,309
|percentage = 29.2
|change = {{increase}} 2.8
|party votes = 55,461
|party percent = 30.9
|party change = {{increase}} 7.4
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Alliance 90/The Greens
|candidate = Everhard Hüseman
|votes = 22,562
|percentage = 12.6
|change = {{increase}} 7.6
|party votes = 22,515
|party percent = 12.5
|party change = {{increase}} 6.5
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)
|candidate = Jens Beeck
|votes = 17,466
|percentage = 9.7
|change = {{increase}} 4.1
|party votes = 21,101
|party percent = 11.8
|party change = {{increase}} 2.7
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Alternative for Germany
|candidate = Danny Meiners
|votes = 8,993
|percentage = 5.0
|change = {{unchanged}} 0.0
|party votes = 9,235
|party percent = 5.1
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.3
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = The Left (Germany)
|candidate = Helmuth Hoffmann
|votes = 3,996
|percentage = 2.2
|change = {{decrease}} 1.6
|party votes = 3,969
|party percent = 2.2
|party change = {{decrease}} 2.4
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Human Environment Animal Protection
|party votes = 1,592
|party percent = 0.9
|party change = {{increase}} 0.4
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Die PARTEI
|party votes = 1,521
|party percent = 0.8
|party change = {{increase}} 0.3
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Mario Kehl
|votes = 1,364
|percentage = 0.8
|change =
|party votes = 1,070
|party percent = 0.6
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Free Voters
|party votes = 723
|party percent = 0.4
|party change = {{increase}} 0.3
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Pirate Party Germany
|party votes = 423
|party percent = 0.2
|party change = {{unchanged}} 0.0
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Team Todenhöfer
|party votes = 291
|party percent = 0.2
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Volt Germany
|party votes = 243
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Party of Humanists
|party votes = 132
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = National Democratic Party of Germany
|party votes = 107
|party percent = 0.1
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Ecological Democratic Party
|party votes = 97
|party percent = 0.1
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Die Urbane. Eine HipHop Partei
|party votes = 90
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = V-Partei3
|party votes = 74
|party percent = 0.0
|party change = {{unchanged}} 0.0
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Liberal Conservative Reformers
|party votes = 23
|party percent = 0.0
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = German Communist Party
|party votes = 22
|party percent = 0.0
|party change = {{unchanged}} 0.0
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
|party votes = 17
|party percent = 0.0
|party change = {{unchanged}} 0.0
}}
{{MMP election box informal vote|
|votes = 1,330
|party votes = 1,104
}}
{{MMP election box total vote|
|votes = 179,213
|party votes = 179,439
}}
{{MMP election box turnout|
|turnout = 180,543
|percentage = 77.4
|change = {{decrease}} 0.7
}}
{{MMP election box majority hold|
|winner = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|loser =
|votes = 20,214
|percent = 11.3
|change = {{decrease}} 15.9
}}
=2017 election=
{{MMP election box begin
|title=Federal election (2017): Mittelems[https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2017/ergebnisse/bund-99/land-3/wahlkreis-31.html Results for Mittelems]
}}
{{MMP election box incumbent win|
|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|candidate = Albert Stegemann
|votes = 95,815
|percentage = 53.6
|change = {{decrease}} 5.4
|party votes = 88,310
|party percent = 49.4
|party change = {{decrease}} 6.7
}}
{{MMP election box candidate list|
|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Daniela De Ridder
|votes = 47,107
|percentage = 26.4
|change = {{decrease}} 2.6
|party votes = 41,983
|party percent = 23.5
|party change = {{decrease}} 2.6
}}
{{MMP election box candidate list|
|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)
|candidate = Jens Beeck
|votes = 10,089
|percentage = 5.6
|change = {{increase}} 4.1
|party votes = 16,181
|party percent = 9.0
|party change = {{increase}} 4.9
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Alternative for Germany
|candidate = Danny Meiners
|votes = 8,949
|percentage = 5.0
|change = {{increase}} 2.8
|party votes = 9,701
|party percent = 5.4
|party change = {{increase}} 2.9
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Alliance 90/The Greens
|candidate = Reinhard Prüllage
|votes = 8,900
|percentage = 5.0
|change = {{steady}} 0.0
|party votes = 10,803
|party percent = 6.0
|party change = {{increase}} 0.6
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = The Left (Germany)
|candidate = Roberto Linguari
|votes = 6,813
|percentage = 3.8
|change = {{increase}} 1.1
|party votes = 8,167
|party percent = 4.6
|party change = {{increase}} 1.5
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Die PARTEI
|candidate = Harald Nützel
|votes = 951
|percentage = 0.5
|change =
|party votes = 984
|party percent = 0.6
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Human Environment Animal Protection
|party votes = 939
|party percent = 0.5
|party change = {{increase}} 0.1
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Pirate Party Germany
|party votes = 385
|party percent = 0.2
|party change = {{decrease}} 1.2
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = National Democratic Party of Germany
|party votes = 285
|party percent = 0.2
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.3
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Free Voters
|party votes = 271
|party percent = 0.2
|party change = {{steady}} 0.0
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Ecological Democratic Party
|party votes = 238
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box historic party only|
|party = DM
|color =
|party votes = 146
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Basic Income Alliance
|party votes = 136
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box historic party only|
|party = DiB
|color = #263D80
|party votes = 134
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box historic party only|
|party = V-Partei³
|color = #99CC33
|party votes = 127
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
|party votes = 35
|party percent = 0.0
|party change = {{steady}} 0.0
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = German Communist Party
|party votes = 27
|party percent = 0.0
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box informal vote|
|votes = 1,187
|party votes = 959
}}
{{MMP election box total vote|
|votes = 178,624
|party votes = 178,852
}}
{{MMP election box turnout|
|turnout = 179,811
|percentage = 78.1
|change = {{increase}} 3.4
}}
{{MMP election box majority hold|
|winner = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|votes = 48,708
|percent = 27.2
|change = {{decrease}} 2.8
}}
=2013 election=
{{MMP election box begin
|title=Federal election (2013): Mittelems[https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2013/ergebnisse/bund-99/land-3/wahlkreis-31.html Results for Mittelems]
}}
{{MMP election box candidate win|
|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|candidate = Albert Stegemann
|votes = 99,705
|percentage = 59.0
|change = {{increase}} 4.4
|party votes = 94,923
|party percent = 56.1
|party change = {{increase}} 8.9
}}
{{MMP election box candidate list|
|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Daniela De Ridder
|votes = 48,903
|percentage = 29.0
|change = {{increase}} 3.0
|party votes = 44,069
|party percent = 26.0
|party change = {{increase}} 2.7
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Alliance 90/The Greens
|candidate = Birgit Kemmer
|votes = 8,393
|percentage = 5.0
|change = {{decrease}} 0.9
|party votes = 9,160
|party percent = 5.4
|party change = {{decrease}} 1.4
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = The Left (Germany)
|candidate = Heinz Georg von Wensiersky
|votes = 4,543
|percentage = 2.7
|change = {{decrease}} 2.2
|party votes = 5,107
|party percent = 3.0
|party change = {{decrease}} 2.5
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Alternative for Germany
|candidate = Martina Härting
|votes = 3,777
|percentage = 2.2
|change =
|party votes = 4,331
|party percent = 2.6
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)
|candidate = Manuel Nehmer
|votes = 2,673
|percentage = 1.6
|change = {{decrease}} 6.4
|party votes = 7,032
|party percent = 4.2
|party change = {{decrease}} 10.0
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Pirate Party Germany
|party votes = 2,456
|party percent = 1.5
|party change = {{increase}} 0.1
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = National Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Tobias Richter
|votes = 879
|percentage = 0.5
|change = {{decrease}} 0.2
|party votes = 790
|party percent = 0.5
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Human Environment Animal Protection
|party votes = 767
|party percent = 0.5
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Free Voters
|party votes = 285
|party percent = 0.2
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box historic party only|
|party = PRO
|party votes = 136
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box historic party only|
|party = PBC
|party votes = 114
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = The Republicans (Germany)
|party votes = 48
|party percent = 0.0
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
|party votes = 20
|party percent = 0.0
|party change = {{steady}} 0.0
}}
{{MMP election box informal vote|
|votes = 1,571
|party votes = 1,206
}}
{{MMP election box total vote|
|votes = 168,873
|party votes = 169,238
}}
{{MMP election box turnout|
|turnout = 170,444
|percentage = 74.7
|change = {{increase}} 0.2
}}
{{MMP election box majority hold|
|winner = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|votes = 50,802
|percent = 30.0
|change = {{increase}} 1.4
}}
=2009 election=
{{MMP election box begin
|title=Federal election (2009): Mittelems[https://web.archive.org/web/20110616023932/http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/de/bundestagswahlen/BTW_BUND_09/ergebnisse/wahlkreisergebnisse/l03/wk032/ Results for Mittelems]
}}
{{MMP election box incumbent win|
|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|candidate = Hermann Kues
|votes = 91,378
|percentage = 54.6
|change = {{decrease}} 1.0
|party votes = 79,052
|party percent = 47.2
|party change = {{decrease}} 1.5
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Dieter Steinecke
|votes = 43,503
|percentage = 26.0
|change = {{decrease}} 8.5
|party votes = 39,085
|party percent = 23.3
|party change = {{decrease}} 10.6
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)
|candidate = Norbert Brüggemann
|votes = 13,278
|percentage = 7.9
|change = {{increase}} 4.5
|party votes = 23,749
|party percent = 14.2
|party change = {{increase}} 5.7
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = Alliance 90/The Greens
|candidate = Michael Fuest
|votes = 9,819
|percentage = 5.9
|change = {{increase}} 2.6
|party votes = 11,357
|party percent = 6.8
|party change = {{increase}} 2.2
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = The Left (Germany)
|candidate = Jörg-Friedrich Küster
|votes = 8,195
|percentage = 4.9
|change = {{increase}} 2.5
|party votes = 9,169
|party percent = 5.5
|party change = {{increase}} 2.7
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Pirate Party Germany
|party votes = 2,347
|party percent = 1.4
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box candidate lose|
|party = National Democratic Party of Germany
|candidate = Malte Holzer
|votes = 1,130
|percentage = 0.7
|change = {{steady}} 0.0
|party votes = 1,014
|party percent = 0.6
|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Human Environment Animal Protection
|party votes = 853
|party percent = 0.5
|party change = {{increase}} 0.1
}}
{{MMP election box historic party only|
|party = RRP
|color =
|party votes = 642
|party percent = 0.4
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Ecological Democratic Party
|party votes = 158
|party percent = 0.1
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = German People's Union
|party votes = 78
|party percent = 0.0
|party change =
}}
{{MMP election box party only|
|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
|party votes = 24
|party percent = 0.0
|party change = {{steady}} 0.0
}}
{{MMP election box informal vote|
|votes = 1,775
|party votes = 1,550
}}
{{MMP election box total vote|
|votes = 167,303
|party votes = 167,528
}}
{{MMP election box turnout|
|turnout = 169,078
|percentage = 74.5
|change = {{decrease}} 6.2
}}
{{MMP election box majority hold|
|winner = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
|votes = 47,875
|percent = 28.6
|change = {{increase}} 7.5
}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Electoral districts of Lower Saxony}}
{{coord missing|Lower Saxony}}
Category:Federal electoral districts in Lower Saxony