Soest (electoral district)

145 Soest
Electoral district for the Bundestag
Soest in 2025
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Population	301,800 (2019)
Electorate	231,811 (2021)
Major settlements	Lippstadt Soest Werl
Area	1,328.6 km2
Current electoral district
Created	1980
Party	CDU
Member	Oliver Pöpsel
Elected	2025

Soest 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 145. It is located in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, comprising the district of Soest. ^[1]

Soest was created for the 1980 federal election. From 2017 to 2025, it has been represented by Hans-Jürgen Thies of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). ^[2] Since 2025 it is been represented by Oliver Pöpsel of the CDU.

Geography

Soest is located in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia. As of the 2021 federal election, it is coterminous with the Soest district. ^[1]

History

Soest was created in 1980. In the 1980 through 1998 elections, it was constituency 118 in the numbering system. From 2002 through 2009, it was number 147. In the 2013 through 2021 elections, it was number 146. From the 2025 election, it has been number 145. Its borders have not changed since its creation.

Members

The constituency has been held by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) during all but one Bundestag term since its creation. It was first represented by Hermann Kroll-Schlüter from 1980 to 1990, followed by Jürgen Augustinowitz from 1990 to 1998. Eike Hovermann of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) was elected in 1998. Bernhard Schulte-Drüggelte regained it for the CDU in 2002 and served until 2017. Hans-Jürgen Thies was elected in 2017 and was re-elected in 2021. In 2025 Oliver Pöpsel was elected

Election		Member	Party	%
	1980	Hermann Kroll-Schlüter	CDU	50.0
	1983			56.3
	1987			49.8
	1990	Jürgen Augustinowitz	CDU	49.4
	1994			49.6
	1998	Eike Hovermann	SPD	45.5
	2002	Bernhard Schulte-Drüggelte	CDU	44.2
	2005			46.3
	2009			45.8
	2013			49.8
	2017	Hans-Jürgen Thies	CDU	42.7
	2021			33.1
	2025	Oliver Pöpsel	CDU	37.3

Election results

2025 election

Federal election (2025): Soest [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 Oliver Pöpsel		70,482	37.3	4.2	66,360	35.0	6.0
	SPD	Jens Behrens		42,543	22.5	8.3	34,834	18.4	10.3
	AfD	Ulrich von Zons		36,667	19.4	11.5	35,823	18.9	10.9
	Greens	Sarah Gonschorek		18,136	9.6	2.9	19,040	10.0	3.5
	Left	Roland Linnhoff		11,204	5.9	2.8	11,577	6.1	3.0
	FDP	Fabian Griewel		7,447	3.9	6.1	7,681	4.1	7.8
	BSW						7,393	3.9
	Tierschutzpartei						2,273	1.2	1.0
	FW	Christine-Maria Hudyma		2,537	1.3	0.2	997	0.5	0.1
	PARTEI						1,013	0.5	0.4
	Volt						908	0.5	0.3
	dieBasis					1.4	523	0.3	0.9
	PdF						352	0.2	0.1
	Team Todenhöfer						270	0.1	0.1
	BD						244	0.1
	Values						96	0.1
	MERA25						46	0.0
	MLPD						35	0.0	0.0
	Pirates								0.4
	Gesundheitsforschung								0.1
	Bündnis C								0.1
	Humanists								0.1
	ÖDP								0.1
	SGP						13	0.0	0.0
Informal votes				1,479			1,030
Total valid votes				189,016			189,465
Turnout				190,495	83.0
	CDU hold		Majority	27,939	14.8	12.5

2021 election

Federal election (2021): Soest [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 Hans-Jürgen Thies		58,791	33.1	9.5	51,697	29.1	7.2
	SPD	Wolfgang Hellmich		54,614	30.8	1.5	51,061	28.7	3.8
	Greens	Shahabuddin Miah		22,154	12.5	7.0	24,089	13.5	7.4
	FDP	Fabian Griewel		17,826	10.0	2.1	21,005	11.8	1.6
	AfD	Berengar Elsner von Gronow		13,992	7.9	1.0	14,206	8.0	1.4
	Left	Helle Robert		5,548	3.1	2.5	5,520	3.1	3.7
	Tierschutzpartei						2,260	1.3	0.6
	dieBasis	Wolfgang Sälzer		2,507	1.4		2,038	1.1
	PARTEI						1,724	1.0	0.3
	FW	Christine-Maria Hudyma		2,017	1.1		1,176	0.7	0.4
	Pirates						666	0.4	0.0
	Team Todenhöfer						495	0.3
	Volt						327	0.2
	LIEBE						251	0.1
	Gesundheitsforschung						246	0.1	0.0
	LfK						173	0.1
	Bündnis C						159	0.1
	NPD						156	0.1	0.1
	Humanists						121	0.1	0.0
	ÖDP						118	0.1	0.0
	du.						89	0.1
	V-Partei3						89	0.0	0.1
	PdF						73	0.0
	LKR						34	0.0
	DKP						31	0.0	0.0
	SGP						13	0.0	0.0
	MLPD						12	0.0	0.0
Informal votes				1,554			1,174
Total valid votes				177,449			177,829
Turnout				179,003	77.2	2.2
	CDU hold		Majority	4,177	2.3	11.0

2017 election

Federal election (2017): Soest [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	Hans-Jürgen Thies		73,595	42.7	7.1	62,764	36.3	8.5
	SPD	Wolfgang Hellmich		50,458	29.3	4.1	43,184	25.0	5.4
	AfD	Berengar Elsner von Gronow		15,311	8.9		16,165	9.3	5.9
	FDP	Fabian Griewel		13,681	7.9	5.6	23,296	13.5	8.5
	Left	Robert Helle		9,756	5.7	0.7	11,702	6.8	1.5
	Greens	Shahabuddin Miah		9,459	5.5	0.5	10,723	6.2	0.8
	Tierschutzpartei						1,207	0.7
	PARTEI						1,183	0.7	0.4
	Pirates						634	0.4	1.7
	FW						387	0.2	0.1
	NPD						310	0.2	0.6
	Independent	Jonathan Meier		232	0.1
	AD-DEMOKRATEN						184	0.1
	DiB						183	0.1
	Gesundheitsforschung						176	0.1
	V-Partei³						175	0.1
	BGE						168	0.1
	DM						168	0.1
	Volksabstimmung						159	0.1	0.1
	ÖDP						149	0.1	0.0
	Die Humanisten						78	0.0
	MLPD						40	0.0	0.0
	DKP						28	0.0
	SGP						11	0.0	0.0
Informal votes				1,872			1,290
Total valid votes				172,492			173,074
Turnout				174,364	75.1	2.8
	CDU hold		Majority	23,137	13.4	3.1

2013 election

Federal election (2013): Soest [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 Bernhard Schulte-Drüggelte		82,394	49.8	4.0	74,380	44.8	8.2
	SPD	Wolfgang Hellmich		55,127	33.3	4.1	50,439	30.4	4.9
	Greens	Cordula Ungruh		9,868	6.0	1.3	11,565	7.0	1.7
	Left	Michael Bruns		8,267	5.0	2.0	8,721	5.2	2.4
	AfD						5,711	3.4
	Pirates	Sven Sladek		3,996	2.4		3,410	2.1	0.5
	FDP	Ingo Westermann		3,870	2.3	7.2	8,218	4.9	12.0
	NPD			1,954	1.2	0.1	1,321	0.8	0.0
	PARTEI						467	0.3
	Volksabstimmung						333	0.2	0.1
	PRO						330	0.2
	FW						229	0.1
	ÖDP						204	0.1	0.1
	REP						180	0.1	0.1
	Nichtwahler						192	0.1
	Party of Reason						101	0.1
	BIG						91	0.1
	RRP						86	0.1	0.1
	Die Rechte						59	0.0
	PSG						52	0.0	0.0
	BüSo						32	0.0	0.0
	MLPD						25	0.0	0.0
Informal votes				2,435			1,765
Total valid votes				165,476			166,146
Turnout				167,911	72.3	1.3
	CDU hold		Majority	27,267	16.5	0.1

2009 election

Federal election (2009): Soest [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 Bernhard Schulte-Drüggelte		74,725	45.8	0.5	59,805	36.6	2.5
	SPD	Wolfgang Hellmich		47,583	29.2	11.9	41,522	25.4	12.1
	FDP	Urs Frigger		15,625	9.6	4.8	27,675	16.9	6.4
	Greens	Frank Hilgenkamp		11,924	7.3	4.0	14,081	8.6	2.8
	Left	Michael Bruns		11,432	7.0	3.3	12,460	7.6	3.2
	Pirates						2,612	1.6
	NPD	Harald Röhl		1,800	1.1	0.2	1,324	0.8	0.1
	FAMILIE						1,037	0.6	0.2
	Tierschutzpartei						922	0.6	0.1
	RENTNER						652	0.4
	REP						388	0.2	0.1
	RRP						315	0.2
	Volksabstimmung						149	0.1	0.0
	Centre						123	0.1	0.0
	DVU						118	0.1
	ÖDP						106	0.1
	BüSo						48	0.0	0.0
	PSG						22	0.0	0.0
	MLPD						13	0.0	0.0
Informal votes				2,204			1,921
Total valid votes				163,089			163,372
Turnout				165,293	61.0	7.3
	CDU hold		Majority	27,142	16.6	11.4

2005 election

Federal election (2005): Soest [8]
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 Bernhard Schulte-Drüggelte		82,445	46.3	2.1	69,766	39.1	1.1
	SPD	Eike Hovermann		73,123	41.1	1.8	66,889	37.5	1.1
	FDP	Forusan Madjlessi		8,518	4.8	2.7	18,826	10.5	0.2
	Left	Manfred Weretecki		6,536	3.7	2.3	7,940	4.4	3.4
	Greens	Udo Müller		5,946	3.3	0.7	10,428	5.8	1.4
	NPD	Andre Schossow		1,534	0.9		1,282	0.7	0.6
	Familie						801	0.4	0.2
	Tierschutzpartei						766	0.4	0.1
	REP						633	0.4	0.5
	GRAUEN						530	0.3	0.1
	PBC						212	0.1
	From Now on... Democracy Through Referendum						161	0.1
	Centre						86	0.0
	Socialist Equality Party						75	0.0
	BüSo						50	0.0
	MLPD						29	0.0	0.0
Informal votes				2,830			2,458
Total valid votes				178,102			178,474
Turnout				180,932	78.3	2.3
	CDU hold		Majority	9,322	5.2

References

1. "Constituency Soest". Federal Returning Officer.
2. "Results for Soest". Federal Returning Officer.
3. Results for Soest
4. Results for Soest
5. Results for Soest
6. Results for Soest
7. Results for Soest