Waldeck (electoral district)

Last updated
166 Waldeck
Electoral district
for the Bundestag
Bundestagswahlkreis 166-2025.svg
Waldeck in 2025
State Hesse
Population234,200 (2019)
Electorate184,073 (2021)
Major settlements Baunatal
Korbach
Bad Wildungen
Area2,167.3 km2
Current electoral district
Created1949
Party CDU
Member Jan-Wilhelm Pohlmann
Elected 2025

Waldeck 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 166. It is located in northern Hesse, comprising most of the Landkreis Kassel district and the northern part of the Waldeck-Frankenberg district. [1]

Contents

Waldeck was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. From 2017 to 2025, it has been represented by Esther Dilcher of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). [2] Since 2025 it is been represented by Jan-Wilhelm Pohlmann of the CDU.

Geography

Waldeck is located in northern Hesse. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the entirety of the Landkreis Kassel district excluding the municipalities of Ahnatal, Espenau, Fuldabrück, Fuldatal, Helsa, Kaufungen, Lohfelden, Nieste, Niestetal, Söhrewald, and Vellmar, as well as the entirety of the Waldeck-Frankenberg district excluding the municipalities of Allendorf (Eder), Battenberg (Eder), Bromskirchen, Burgwald, Frankenau, Frankenberg, Gemünden (Wohra), Haina, Hatzfeld, Rosenthal, and Vöhl. [1]

History

Waldeck was created in 1949. In the 1949 election, it was Hesse constituency 1 in the numbering system. From 1953 through 1976, it was number 126. From 1980 through 1998, it was number 124. In the 2002 and 2005 elections, it was number 169. In the 2009 election, it was number 168. In the 2013 through 2021 elections, it was number 167. From the 2025 election, it has been number 166.

Originally, the constituency comprised the districts of Waldeck, Hofgeismar, and Wolfhagen. In the 1972 election, it comprised the Waldeck district and the municipalities of Breuna, Calden, Emstal, Grebenstein, Habichtswald, Hofgeismar, Immenhausen, Karlshafen, Liebenau, Naumburg, Oberweser, Reinhardshagen, Trendelburg, Wahlsburg, Wolfhagen, and Zierenberg from the Landkreis Kassel district. In the 1976 election, it acquired borders very similar to its current configuration, but excluding the Baunatal and Schauenburg municipalities from Landkreis Kassel district. It acquired its current borders in the 2002 election.

ElectionNo.NameBorders
1949 1Waldeck
  • Waldeck district
  • Hofgeismar district
  • Wolfhagen district
1953 126
1957
1961
1965
1969
1972
1976
1980 124
1983
1987
1990
1994
1998
2002 169
2005
2009 168
2013 167
2017
2021
2025 166

Members

The constituency has been held by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) during all but three Bundestag terms since 1949. It was first represented by Karl Rüdiger of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) from 1949 until his death in 1951. Hans Merten of the SPD won the subsequent by-election, but was defeated at the 1953 federal election by FDP candidate Heinrich Fassbender. Karl Bechert of the SPD was elected in 1957 and served until 1972. He was succeeded by Rudi Walther, who served until 1994. Alfred Hartenbach was then representative until 2009. Ullrich Meßmer served one term from 2009 to 2013, when Thomas Viesehon of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won the constituency. Esther Dilcher regained it for the SPD in 2017 and was re-elected in 2021.

ElectionMemberParty %
1949 Karl Rüdiger FDP 35.2
1951Hans Merten SPD 47.2
1953 Heinrich Fassbender FDP 52.5
1957 Karl Bechert SPD 35.6
1961 42.4
1965 46.7
1969 50.1
1972 Rudi Walther SPD 53.6
1976 49.7
1980 52.1
1983 48.6
1987 49.5
1990 48.6
1994 Alfred Hartenbach SPD 47.4
1998 53.0
2002 52.1
2005 50.2
2009 Ullrich Meßmer SPD 37.8
2013 Thomas Viesehon CDU 41.5
2017 Esther Dilcher SPD 35.1
2021 38.0
2025 Jan-Wilhelm Pohlmann CDU 31.1

Election results

2025 election

Federal election (2025): Waldeck [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 Green check.svgY or Red x.svgN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

PartyCandidateVotes%±%Party votes%±%
CDU Jan-Wilhelm Pohlmann 46,16631.1Increase2.svg 4.842,77828.8Increase2.svg 6.4
SPD Red x.svgN Esther Dilcher 41,88328.2Decrease2.svg 9.733,99422.9Decrease2.svg 13.2
AfD Jan Nolte 31,70121.4Increase2.svg 12.131,35921.1Increase2.svg 11.6
Greens Ilka Deutschendorf10,5597.1Decrease2.svg 2.912,7188.6Decrease2.svg 2.3
Left Stefan Giebel8,4625.7Increase2.svg 2.69,1156.1Increase2.svg 2.9
BSW  6,5024.4New
FDP Jochen Rube4,8633.3Decrease2.svg 5.65,9214.0Decrease2.svg 7.3
FW Michael Maiweg4,8073.2Increase2.svg 0.52,4961.7Decrease2.svg 0.4
Tierschutzpartei  2,1521.4Steady2.svg 0.0
PARTEI  6580.4Decrease2.svg 0.3
Volt  6230.4Increase2.svg 0.3
BD  2370.2New
Humanists  1190.1Steady2.svg 0.0
MLPD  38<0.1Steady2.svg 0.0
Informal votes1,6621,393
Total valid votes148,441148,710
Turnout 150,10383.2Increase2.svg 8.1
CDU gain from SPD Majority4,2822.9N/A

2021 election

Federal election (2021): Waldeck [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 Green check.svgY or Red x.svgN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

PartyCandidateVotes%±%Party votes%±%
SPD Green check.svgY Esther Dilcher 51,61338.0Increase2.svg 2.949,06436.1Increase2.svg 5.2
CDU Armin Schwarz 35,73426.3Decrease2.svg 7.330,39222.3Decrease2.svg 7.7
Greens Peter Koswig13,58110.0Increase2.svg 4.314,77510.9Increase2.svg 4.0
AfD Jan Nolte 12,5369.2Decrease2.svg 1.812,8999.5Decrease2.svg 2.2
FDP Jochem Rube12,0628.9Increase2.svg 1.815,28811.2Increase2.svg 1.3
Left Regina Preysing4,2083.1Decrease2.svg 3.04,4413.3Decrease2.svg 3.8
FW Kira Hauser3,7632.8Increase2.svg 1.42,7912.1Increase2.svg 1.2
Tierschutzpartei  1,9461.4Increase2.svg 0.5
dieBasis Daniele Saracino1,6261.21,5281.1
PARTEI  9640.7Increase2.svg 0.1
Independent Gerd Erwin Müller7160.5
Pirates  4520.3Steady2.svg 0.0
Team Todenhöfer  3740.3
Volt  2230.2
Gesundheitsforschung  2180.2
NPD  1590.1Decrease2.svg 0.2
Independent Barbara Meyer1510.1
Bündnis C  1140.1
ÖDP  1060.1Steady2.svg 0.0
Humanists  870.1
V-Partei3  830.1Steady2.svg 0.0
Bündnis 21410.0
MLPD  400.0Steady2.svg 0.0
LKR  310.0
DKP  270.0Steady2.svg 0.0
Informal votes2,1402,087
Total valid votes135,990136,043
Turnout 138,13075.0Decrease2.svg 1.4
SPD holdMajority15,87911.7Increase2.svg 10.2

2017 election

Federal election (2017): Waldeck [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 Green check.svgY or Red x.svgN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

PartyCandidateVotes%±%Party votes%±%
SPD Esther Dilcher 49,34135.1Decrease2.svg 6.243,44630.9Decrease2.svg 5.2
CDU Red x.svgN Thomas Viesehon 47,26933.6Decrease2.svg 7.942,23230.0Decrease2.svg 6.5
AfD Jan Ralf Nolte15,43811.016,41111.7Increase2.svg 6.6
FDP Jochen Rube9,9307.1Increase2.svg 4.413,9189.9Increase2.svg 5.1
Left Regina Preysing8,6006.1Increase2.svg 0.79,8917.0Increase2.svg 1.6
Greens Jürgen Frömmrich8,0625.7Decrease2.svg 0.69,6606.9Decrease2.svg 1.2
Tierschutzpartei  1,3290.9
FW Vera Gleuel1,9101.41,2680.9Increase2.svg 0.1
PARTEI  9000.6Increase2.svg 0.2
Pirates  4970.4Decrease2.svg 1.3
NPD  4420.3Decrease2.svg 0.5
BGE  2030.1
DM1750.1
V-Partei³ 1550.1
ÖDP  1270.1
Independent Karin Puppel880.1
MLPD  450.0Steady2.svg 0.0
BüSo 170.0Steady2.svg 0.0
DKP  170.0
Informal votes2,2142,119
Total valid votes140,638140,733
Turnout 142,85276.5Increase2.svg 3.4
SPD gain from CDU Majority2,0721.5

2013 election

Federal election (2013): Waldeck [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 Green check.svgY or Red x.svgN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

PartyCandidateVotes%±%Party votes%±%
CDU Thomas Viesehon 55,44441.5Increase2.svg 6.149,06336.5Increase2.svg 6.6
SPD Red x.svgN Ullrich Meßmer 55,21741.3Increase2.svg 3.548,42036.0Increase2.svg 3.0
Greens Caroline Chantal Tönges8,4866.3Decrease2.svg 1.810,8728.1Decrease2.svg 1.7
Left Dieter Hille7,2535.4Decrease2.svg 2.27,3565.5Decrease2.svg 3.0
AfD  6,7745.0
FDP Björn Sänger3,5792.7Decrease2.svg 6.96,4524.8Decrease2.svg 9.9
Pirates Arno Schröder3,1772.42,2421.7Increase2.svg 0.1
NPD  1,1590.9
FW  1,0130.8
Independent Werner Bracht5450.4
PARTEI  5250.4
REP  2370.2Decrease2.svg 0.2
PRO 1520.1
SGP  710.1
BüSo 470.0Decrease2.svg 0.1
MLPD  330.0Steady2.svg 0.0
Informal votes4,9314,216
Total valid votes133,701134,416
Turnout 138,63273.1Decrease2.svg 0.1
CDU gain from SPD Majority2270.2

2009 election

Federal election (2009): Waldeck [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 Green check.svgY or Red x.svgN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

PartyCandidateVotes%±%Party votes%±%
SPD Ullrich Meßmer 51,73737.8Decrease2.svg 12.545,34333.0Decrease2.svg 11.1
CDU Thomas Viesehon48,41435.3Increase2.svg 0.941,10929.9Decrease2.svg 0.3
FDP Björn Sänger 13,1809.6Increase2.svg 4.920,21014.7Increase2.svg 5.0
Greens Anke Pavlicek11,2098.2Increase2.svg 3.713,4989.8Increase2.svg 2.3
Left Klaus Albrecht10,4007.6Increase2.svg 2.911,6578.5Increase2.svg 3.1
Pirates  2,1751.6
NPD David Giesler1,7561.3Decrease2.svg 0.11,3931.0Decrease2.svg 0.1
Tierschutzpartei  1,1210.8Increase2.svg 0.2
REP  5040.4Decrease2.svg 0.2
Independent Jürgen Lenz3110.2
BüSo 1220.1Steady2.svg 0.0
DVU  1150.1
MLPD  480.0Steady2.svg 0.0
Informal votes3,8013,513
Total valid votes137,007137,295
Turnout 140,80873.2Decrease2.svg 6.3
SPD holdMajority3,3232.5Decrease2.svg 13.3

References

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