Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg

Federal electoral district of Germany

177 Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg

Electoral district
for the Bundestag

Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg in 2025

State| Hesse
Population| 298,000 (2019)
Electorate| 220,466 (2021)
Major settlements| Limburg an der Lahn
Taunusstein
Idstein
Area| 1,171.2 km2
Current electoral district
Created| 1949
Party| CDU
Member| Klaus-Peter Willsch
Elected| 1998, 2002, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021

Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg 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 177. It is located in southwestern Hesse, comprising the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis district and the southwestern part of the Limburg-Weilburg district.[1]

Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. Since 1998, it has been represented by Klaus-Peter Willsch of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).[2]

## Geography

[edit]

Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg is located in southwestern Hesse. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the entirety of the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis district as well as the Limburg-Weilburg district excluding the municipalities of Beselich, Löhnberg, Mengerskirchen, Merenberg, Runkel, Villmar, Weilburg, Weilmünster, and Weinbach.[1]

## History

[edit]

Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg was created in 1949, then known as Limburg. It acquired its current name in the 1980 election. In the 1949 election, it was Hesse constituency 12 in the numbering system. From 1953 through 1976, it was number 137. From 1980 through 1998, it was number 135. In the 2002 and 2005 elections, it was number 179. In the 2009 through 2021 elections, it was number 178. From the 2025 election, it has been number 177.

Originally, the constituency comprised the districts of Rheingaukreis, Untertaunuskreis, and Limburg. It acquired its current borders in the 1976 election.

Election  | No. | Name  | Borders

|
|
|

1949 | 12 | Limburg  |

* Rheingaukreis district
* Untertaunuskreis district
* Limburg district

1953 | 137
1957
1961
1965
1969
1972
1976 |

* Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis district
* Limburg-Weilburg district (excluding Beselich, Löhnberg, Mengerskirchen, Merenberg, Runkel, Villmar, Weilburg, Weilmünster, and Weinbach municipalities)

1980 | 135  | Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg
1983
1987
1990
1994
1998
2002 | 179
2005
2009 | 178
2013
2017
2021
2025 | 177

## Members

[edit]

The constituency has been held continuously by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since its creation. It was first represented by Josef Arndgen from 1949 to 1965. He was succeeded by Benno Erhard from 1965 to 1987. Michael Jung then served from 1987 to 1998. Klaus-Peter Willsch was elected in 1998, and re-elected in 2002, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2021.

Election  | Member  | Party  | %

|
|
|

| 1949 | Josef Arndgen | CDU | 38.6
1953 | 48.6
1957 | 58.2
1961 | 51.1
| 1965 | Benno Erhard | CDU | 52.2
1969 | 50.1
1972 | 50.6
1976 | 53.0
1980 | 47.7
1983 | 54.6
| 1987 | Michael Jung  | CDU | 50.9
1990 | 51.2
1994 | 54.0
| 1998 | Klaus-Peter Willsch | CDU | 46.8
2002 | 47.4
2005 | 47.5
2009 | 46.1
2013 | 52.1
2017 | 41.8
2021 | 30.2

## Election results

[edit]

### 2021 election

[edit]

Federal election (2021): Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg[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 Klaus-Peter Willsch | 51,318  | 30.2  |  11.6  | 44,413  | 26.1  |  8.5
| SPD | Martin Rabanus | 48,441  | 28.5  |  3.2  | 43,708  | 25.6  |  4.9
| Greens | Anna Lührmann | 24,418  | 14.4  |  7.4  | 25,328  | 14.9  |  6.0
| FDP | Alexander Müller | 18,126  | 10.7  |  3.0  | 23,745  | 13.9  |  0.7
| AfD | Marcus Resch  | 13,547  | 8.0  |  2.2  | 14,523  | 8.5  |  3.4
| FW | Bianka Rössler  | 6,103  | 3.6  |  1.0  | 3,466  | 2.0  |  1.0
| Left | Zill Valentin  | 4,563  | 2.7  |  2.8  | 5,395  | 3.2  |  3.3
| Tierschutzpartei |  | 2,772  | 1.6  |  0.6
| dieBasis | Jens Meyer  | 2,671  | 1.6  |  | 2,386  | 1.4  |
| PARTEI |  | 1,357  | 0.8  |  0.0
| Volt |  | 830  | 0.5  |
| Pirates |  | 661  | 0.4  |  0.1
| Team Todenhöfer |  | 546  | 0.3  |
| Independent | Carsten Schlossbauer  | 461  | 0.3  |  |
| Gesundheitsforschung |  | 245  | 0.1  |
| Bündnis C | Reinhard Seiler  | 332  | 0.2  |  | 220  | 0.1  |
| NPD |  | 195  | 0.1  |  0.1
| Humanists |  | 186  | 0.1  |
| V-Partei3 |  | 178  | 0.1  |  0.1
| ÖDP |  | 159  | 0.1  |  0.0
| LKR |  | 55  | 0.0  |
| Bündnis 21  |  | 54  | 0.0  |
| DKP |  | 36  | 0.0  |  0.0
| MLPD |  | 24  | 0.0  |  0.0
Informal votes  | 2,267  |  |  | 1,765  |  |
Total valid votes | 169,980  |  |  | 170,482  |  |
Turnout | 172,247  | 78.1  |  0.7  |
| CDU hold | Majority | 2,877  | 1.7  |  14.8  |

### 2017 election

[edit]

Federal election (2017): Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg[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 Klaus-Peter Willsch | 71,555  | 41.8  |  10.4  | 59,346  | 34.6  |  10.9
| SPD | Martin Rabanus | 43,427  | 25.3  |  3.8  | 35,604  | 20.7  |  4.4
| AfD | Christine Margarete Anderson  | 17,439  | 10.2  |  5.9  | 20,399  | 11.9  |  6.0
| FDP | Alexander Müller | 13,053  | 7.6  |  5.3  | 22,650  | 13.2  |  6.9
| Greens | Timo Müller  | 12,020  | 7.0  |  1.4  | 15,273  | 8.9  |  0.3
| Left | Benno Pörtner  | 9,394  | 5.5  |  1.6  | 11,069  | 6.4  |  1.9
| Tierschutzpartei |  | 1,827  | 1.1  |
| FW | Georg Horz  | 4,450  | 2.6  |  | 1,794  | 1.0  |  0.3
| PARTEI |  | 1,447  | 0.8  |  0.5
| Pirates |  | 556  | 0.3  |  1.5
| NPD |  | 443  | 0.3  |  0.7
| BGE |  | 318  | 0.2  |
| V-Partei³ |  | 294  | 0.2  |
| DM  |  | 265  | 0.2  |
| ÖDP |  | 238  | 0.1  |
| MLPD |  | 40  | 0.0  |  0.0
| DKP |  | 32  | 0.0  |
| BüSo |  | 30  | 0.0  |  0.0
Informal votes  | 2,289  |  |  | 2,002  |  |
Total valid votes | 171,338  |  |  | 171,625  |  |
Turnout | 173,627  | 78.8  |  3.7  |
| CDU hold | Majority | 28,128  | 16.5  |  6.5  |

### 2013 election

[edit]

Federal election (2013): Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg[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 | Y Klaus-Peter Willsch | 84,489  | 52.1  |  6.0  | 73,599  | 45.5  |  8.2
| SPD | Martin Rabanus | 47,152  | 29.1  |  1.4  | 40,718  | 25.1  |  2.9
| Greens | Cornelius Dehm  | 9,119  | 5.6  |  2.4  | 13,955  | 8.6  |  1.9
| AfD | Claus Manfred Winhard  | 6,913  | 4.3  |  | 9,469  | 5.8  |
| Left | Benno Pörtner  | 6,300  | 3.9  |  1.7  | 7,290  | 4.5  |  2.1
| FDP | Alexander Müller  | 3,726  | 2.3  |  8.4  | 10,139  | 6.3  |  12.4
| Pirates | Axel Schwenk  | 2,869  | 1.8  |  | 2,884  | 1.8  |  0.2
| NPD | Lukas Keiner  | 1,464  | 0.9  |  0.0  | 1,476  | 0.9  |  0.0
| FW |  | 1,126  | 0.7  |
| PARTEI |  | 611  | 0.4  |
| REP |  | 302  | 0.2  |  0.5
| PRO |  | 189  | 0.1  |
| SGP |  | 67  | 0.0  |
| BüSo |  | 57  | 0.0  |  0.1
| MLPD |  | 42  | 0.0  |  0.0
Informal votes  | 3,756  |  |  | 3,864  |  |
Total valid votes | 162,032  |  |  | 161,924  |  |
Turnout | 165,788  | 75.1  |  0.1  |
| CDU hold | Majority | 37,337  | 23.0  |  4.6  |

### 2009 election

[edit]

Federal election (2009): Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg[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 Klaus-Peter Willsch | 75,224  | 46.1  |  1.4  | 60,875  | 37.2  |  2.6
| SPD | Martin Rabanus  | 45,127  | 27.7  |  8.9  | 36,352  | 22.2  |  9.6
| FDP | Alexander Müller  | 17,463  | 10.7  |  5.3  | 30,530  | 18.7  |  6.1
| Greens | Simon Lissner  | 13,141  | 8.1  |  2.9  | 17,210  | 10.5  |  1.7
| Left | Adolf Knapp  | 9,066  | 5.6  |  2.4  | 10,853  | 6.6  |  2.6
| Pirates |  | 3,199  | 2.0  |
| Tierschutzpartei |  | 1,665  | 1.0  |  0.3
| REP | Klaus Opitz  | 1,603  | 1.0  |  0.1  | 1,133  | 0.7  |  0.1
| NPD | Daniela Vrankaj  | 1,432  | 0.9  |  0.4  | 1,490  | 0.9  |  0.1
| BüSo |  | 174  | 0.1  |  0.0
| DVU |  | 106  | 0.1  |
| MLPD |  | 32  | 0.0  |  0.0
Informal votes  | 3,400  |  |  | 2,837  |  |
Total valid votes | 163,056  |  |  | 163,619  |  |
Turnout | 166,456  | 75.2  |  4.4  |
| CDU hold | Majority | 30,097  | 18.4  |  7.4  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Constituency Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg". Federal Returning Officer.
2. ^ "Results for Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg". Federal Returning Officer.
3. ^ Results for Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg
4. ^ Results for Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg
5. ^ Results for Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg
6. ^ Results for Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg

* v
* t
* e

Electoral districts of Hesse in the German Bundestag

Current|

* Waldeck
* Kassel
* Werra-Meißner – Hersfeld-Rotenburg
* Schwalm-Eder
* Marburg
* Lahn-Dill
* Gießen
* Fulda
* Main-Kinzig – Wetterau II – Schotten
* Hochtaunus
* Wetterau I
* Rheingau-Taunus – Limburg
* Wiesbaden
* Hanau
* Main-Taunus
* Frankfurt am Main I
* Frankfurt am Main II
* Groß-Gerau
* Offenbach
* Darmstadt
* Odenwald
* Bergstraße

Other states|

* Baden-Württemberg
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* Lower Saxony
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* North Rhine-Westphalia
* Rhineland-Palatinate‎
* Saarland
* Saxony
* Saxony-Anhalt‎
* Schleswig-Holstein‎
* Thuringia‎

See also|

* List of Bundestag constituencies
* Elections in Germany

*[No.]: Constituency number
*[12]: Hesse 12
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