Mainz 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 204. It is located in eastern Rhineland-Palatinate, comprising the city of Mainz and the northern part of the Mainz-Bingen district.

Mainz was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. Whilst the Christian Democratic Union won the plurality in the 2025 election, under the new voting system, their candidate did not actually win a seat in the Bundestag. This was due to the distribution of seats won by the CDU being decided by the first (direct) vote percentage of each winning CDU candidate, determining who took the seats. As the CDU candidate got a low vote of 27.3%, the seat will remain vacant throughout the 21st Bundestag.

Geography Mainz is located in eastern Rhineland-Palatinate. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the independent city of Mainz as well as the municipalities of Bingen am Rhein, Budenheim, and Ingelheim am Rhein and the Verbandsgemeinden of Gau-Algesheim, Nieder-Olm, and Rhein-Nahe from the Mainz-Bingen district.

History Mainz was created in 1949. In the 1949 election, it was Rhineland-Palatinate constituency 9 in the numbering system. In the 1953 through 1976 elections, it was number 156. In the 1980 through 1998 elections, it was number 154. In the 2002 election, it was number 208. In the 2005 election, it was number 207. In the 2009 and 2013 elections, it was number 206. In the 2017 and 2021 elections, it was number 205. From the 2025 election, it has been number 204.

Originally, the constituency comprised the city of Mainz and the districts of Bingen and Landkreis Mainz excluding the Amtsgerichtsbezirk of Oppenheim. In the 1972 through 2013 elections, it acquired a configuration very similar to its current borders, but including the Verbandsgemeinde of Sprendlingen-Gensingen. It acquired its current borders in the 2017 election.

Election Name Borders 1949 Mainz Mainz city Landkreis Mainz district (excluding Oppenheim Amtsgerichtsbezirk) Bingen district 1953 156 1957 1961 1965 1969 1972 Mainz city Mainz-Bingen district (only Bingen am Rhein, Budenheim, and Ingelheim am Rhein municipalities and the Gau-Algesheim, Nieder-Olm, Rhein-Nahe, and Sprendlingen-Gensingen Verbandsgemeinden) 1976 1980 154 1983 1987 1990 1994 1998 2002 208 2005 207 2009 206 2013 2017 205 Mainz city Mainz-Bingen district (only Bingen am Rhein, Budenheim, and Ingelheim am Rhein municipalities and the Gau-Algesheim, Nieder-Olm, and Rhein-Nahe Verbandsgemeinden) 2021 2025 204

Members The constituency was first represented by Joseph Schmitt of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1949 to 1953, followed by Josef Schlick from 1953 to 1965. Josef Hofmann then served a single term. Hugo Brandt of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) was elected in 1969 and served until 1983. Johannes Gerster of the CDU won the constituency in 1983 and was representative until 1994. Hans-Otto Wilhelm then served a single term. Eckhart Pick of the SPD was elected in 1998 and served until 2002, when he was succeeded by Michael Hartmann. Ute Granold of the CDU was representative from 2009 to 2013. Ursula Groden-Kranich was elected in 2013 and re-elected in 2017. Daniel Baldy won the constituency for the SPD in 2021. The seat became vacant as a result of the 2025 election.

Election Member Party % 1949 Joseph Schmitt CDU 39.3 1953 Josef Schlick CDU 44.6 1957 48.0 1961 43.6 1965 Josef Hofmann CDU 44.5 1969 Hugo Brandt SPD 46.4 1972 52.3 1976 46.0 1980 46.6 1983 Johannes Gerster CDU 49.0 1987 45.1 1990 43.1 1994 Hans-Otto Wilhelm CDU 41.2 1998 Eckhart Pick SPD 43.6 2002 Michael Hartmann SPD 41.2 2005 40.9 2009 Ute Granold CDU 36.3 2013 Ursula Groden-Kranich CDU 40.1 2017 35.7 2021 Daniel Baldy SPD 24.9 2025Vacant

Election results 2025 election Under the new voting system implemented for the 2025 election, although the CSU candidate won the most votes in this constituency, due to the low winning percentage, the constituency seat will remain vacant as not enough second (party) votes were won to be allocated this seat.

2021 election

2017 election

2013 election

2009 election

2005 election

Notes

References