title: Mittelems (electoral district)
text: # Mittelems (electoral district)
  
  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.
  
  Mittelems was created for the 1980 federal election. Since 2013, it has been represented by Albert Stegemann of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
  
  ## 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.
  
  | Election | Member | Party | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | 1980 | Burkhard Ritz | CDU | 54.4 |
  | 1983 | Hans-Gerd Strube | CDU | 60.0 |
  | 1987 | Hans-Gerd Strube | CDU | 54.8 |
  | 1990 | Hans-Gerd Strube | CDU | 57.2 |
  | 1994 | Hermann Kues | CDU | 57.0 |
  | 1998 | Hermann Kues | CDU | 53.3 |
  | 2002 | Hermann Kues | CDU | 53.3 |
  | 2005 | Hermann Kues | CDU | 55.6 |
  | 2009 | Hermann Kues | CDU | 54.6 |
  | 2013 | Albert Stegemann | CDU | 59.0 |
  | 2017 | Albert Stegemann | CDU | 53.6 |
  | 2021 | Albert Stegemann | CDU | 40.5 |
  
  ## Election results
  
  ### 2021 election
  
  Federal election (2021): Mittelems :
  
  | Notes: | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
  | | CDU | Y Albert Stegemann | Y Albert Stegemann | 72,523 | 40.5 | 13.2 | 60,733 | 33.8 | 15.5 |
  | | SPD | Daniela De Ridder | Daniela De Ridder | 52,309 | 29.2 | 2.8 | 55,461 | 30.9 | 7.4 |
  | | Greens | Everhard Hüseman | Everhard Hüseman | 22,562 | 12.6 | 7.6 | 22,515 | 12.5 | 6.5 |
  | | FDP | Jens Beeck | Jens Beeck | 17,466 | 9.7 | 4.1 | 21,101 | 11.8 | 2.7 |
  | | AfD | Danny Meiners | Danny Meiners | 8,993 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 9,235 | 5.1 | 0.3 |
  | | Left | Helmuth Hoffmann | Helmuth Hoffmann | 3,996 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 3,969 | 2.2 | 2.4 |
  | | Tierschutzpartei | | | | | | 1,592 | 0.9 | 0.4 |
  | | PARTEI | | | | | | 1,521 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
  | | dieBasis | Mario Kehl | Mario Kehl | 1,364 | 0.8 | | 1,070 | 0.6 | |
  | | FW | | | | | | 723 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
  | | Pirates | | | | | | 423 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
  | | Team Todenhöfer | | | | | | 291 | 0.2 | |
  | | Volt | | | | | | 243 | 0.1 | |
  | | Humanists | | | | | | 132 | 0.1 | |
  | | NPD | | | | | | 107 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
  | | ÖDP | | | | | | 97 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
  | | du. | | | | | | 90 | 0.1 | |
  | | V-Partei3 | | | | | | 74 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
  | | LKR | | | | | | 23 | 0.0 | |
  | | DKP | | | | | | 22 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
  | | MLPD | | | | | | 17 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,330 | | | 1,104 | | |
  | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | 179,213 | | | 179,439 | | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 180,543 | 77.4 | 0.7 | | | |
  | | CDU hold | CDU hold | Majority | 20,214 | 11.3 | 15.9 | | | |
  
  ### 2017 election
  
  Federal election (2017): Mittelems :
  
  | Notes: | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
  | | CDU | Y Albert Stegemann | Y Albert Stegemann | 95,815 | 53.6 | 5.4 | 88,310 | 49.4 | 6.7 |
  | | SPD | Daniela De Ridder | Daniela De Ridder | 47,107 | 26.4 | 2.6 | 41,983 | 23.5 | 2.6 |
  | | FDP | Jens Beeck | Jens Beeck | 10,089 | 5.6 | 4.1 | 16,181 | 9.0 | 4.9 |
  | | AfD | Danny Meiners | Danny Meiners | 8,949 | 5.0 | 2.8 | 9,701 | 5.4 | 2.9 |
  | | Greens | Reinhard Prüllage | Reinhard Prüllage | 8,900 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 10,803 | 6.0 | 0.6 |
  | | Left | Roberto Linguari | Roberto Linguari | 6,813 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 8,167 | 4.6 | 1.5 |
  | | PARTEI | Harald Nützel | Harald Nützel | 951 | 0.5 | | 984 | 0.6 | |
  | | Tierschutzpartei | | | | | | 939 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
  | | Pirates | | | | | | 385 | 0.2 | 1.2 |
  | | NPD | | | | | | 285 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
  | | FW | | | | | | 271 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
  | | ÖDP | | | | | | 238 | 0.1 | |
  | | DM | | | | | | 146 | 0.1 | |
  | | BGE | | | | | | 136 | 0.1 | |
  | | DiB | | | | | | 134 | 0.1 | |
  | | V-Partei³ | | | | | | 127 | 0.1 | |
  | | MLPD | | | | | | 35 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
  | | DKP | | | | | | 27 | 0.0 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,187 | | | 959 | | |
  | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | 178,624 | | | 178,852 | | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 179,811 | 78.1 | 3.4 | | | |
  | | CDU hold | CDU hold | Majority | 48,708 | 27.2 | 2.8 | | | |
  
  ### 2013 election
  
  Federal election (2013): Mittelems :
  
  | Notes: | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
  | | CDU | Albert Stegemann | Albert Stegemann | 99,705 | 59.0 | 4.4 | 94,923 | 56.1 | 8.9 |
  | | SPD | Daniela De Ridder | Daniela De Ridder | 48,903 | 29.0 | 3.0 | 44,069 | 26.0 | 2.7 |
  | | Greens | Birgit Kemmer | Birgit Kemmer | 8,393 | 5.0 | 0.9 | 9,160 | 5.4 | 1.4 |
  | | Left | Heinz Georg von Wensiersky | Heinz Georg von Wensiersky | 4,543 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 5,107 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
  | | AfD | Martina Härting | Martina Härting | 3,777 | 2.2 | | 4,331 | 2.6 | |
  | | FDP | Manuel Nehmer | Manuel Nehmer | 2,673 | 1.6 | 6.4 | 7,032 | 4.2 | 10.0 |
  | | Pirates | | | | | | 2,456 | 1.5 | 0.1 |
  | | NPD | Tobias Richter | Tobias Richter | 879 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 790 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
  | | Tierschutzpartei | | | | | | 767 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
  | | FW | | | | | | 285 | 0.2 | |
  | | PRO | | | | | | 136 | 0.1 | |
  | | PBC | | | | | | 114 | 0.1 | |
  | | REP | | | | | | 48 | 0.0 | |
  | | MLPD | | | | | | 20 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,571 | | | 1,206 | | |
  | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | 168,873 | | | 169,238 | | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 170,444 | 74.7 | 0.2 | | | |
  | | CDU hold | CDU hold | Majority | 50,802 | 30.0 | 1.4 | | | |
  
  ### 2009 election
  
  Federal election (2009): Mittelems :
  
  | Notes: | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
  | | CDU | Y Hermann Kues | Y Hermann Kues | 91,378 | 54.6 | 1.0 | 79,052 | 47.2 | 1.5 |
  | | SPD | Dieter Steinecke | Dieter Steinecke | 43,503 | 26.0 | 8.5 | 39,085 | 23.3 | 10.6 |
  | | FDP | Norbert Brüggemann | Norbert Brüggemann | 13,278 | 7.9 | 4.5 | 23,749 | 14.2 | 5.7 |
  | | Greens | Michael Fuest | Michael Fuest | 9,819 | 5.9 | 2.6 | 11,357 | 6.8 | 2.2 |
  | | Left | Jörg-Friedrich Küster | Jörg-Friedrich Küster | 8,195 | 4.9 | 2.5 | 9,169 | 5.5 | 2.7 |
  | | Pirates | | | | | | 2,347 | 1.4 | |
  | | NPD | Malte Holzer | Malte Holzer | 1,130 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1,014 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
  | | Tierschutzpartei | | | | | | 853 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
  | | RRP | | | | | | 642 | 0.4 | |
  | | ÖDP | | | | | | 158 | 0.1 | |
  | | DVU | | | | | | 78 | 0.0 | |
  | | MLPD | | | | | | 24 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,775 | | | 1,550 | | |
  | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | 167,303 | | | 167,528 | | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 169,078 | 74.5 | 6.2 | | | |
  | | CDU hold | CDU hold | Majority | 47,875 | 28.6 | 7.5 | | | |
  