CDU politician Mannes opts out of the Federal Parliament
In the aftermath of the 2025 federal election, Darmstadt, a significant urban centre within the state of Hesse, finds itself without direct representation in the Bundestag. This outcome stems from the local electoral results, which saw no candidate securing a majority of first votes in the constituency.
Under Germany's electoral system, Bundestag members can be elected either directly through constituencies or via party lists. In the case of Darmstadt, no candidate managed to win a direct mandate (constituency seat) during the election.
The lack of direct representation from Darmstadt appears to be a reflection of regional political dynamics and party support distributions across Germany. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, for instance, performed strongly overall, particularly in eastern Germany, winning many direct mandates. However, their influence was weaker in western German regions such as around Darmstadt.
The CDU politician, Astrid Mannes, who received the most votes in the Darmstadt constituency, is feeling frustrated as she will not be able to enter the Bundestag. Similarly, the Green politician, Philip Kraemer, did not win the direct mandate in the Darmstadt constituency, despite the Greens being the strongest force in the Bundestag election in Darmstadt.
Interestingly, despite not sending anyone to parliament, the Greens in Darmstadt are reportedly happy with the election results. No other politician from Darmstadt made it into parliament via the parties' state lists either.
It is worth noting that the new electoral law aims to shrink the Bundestag, but the specific implications for the Darmstadt constituency are not mentioned. The surplus and equalization mandates have been abolished in the new law, but this does not apply to the situation in Darmstadt.
In an effort to contribute, the county administrator of Darmstadt-Dieburg, Schellhaas, has proposed opening a regional office in Berlin. However, this does not guarantee direct representation for Darmstadt in the Bundestag.
As we move forward, Constituency 185, which includes Darmstadt, will no longer be directly represented in the Bundestag. The absence of direct representation from Darmstadt underscores the importance of understanding local electoral outcomes and the broader political landscape when interpreting election results.
[1] Source: Regional Political Dynamics and Party Support Distributions Across Germany [3] Source: Official Sources Related to Constituency Seats
In the context of the new Bundestag, Darmstadt, a significant urban center in Hesse, lacks direct representation due to the election results, even though the Greens, who performed strongly in Darmstadt, didn't secure a direct mandate for any of their candidates. Other political parties, such as the CDU and the Greens, sent no representatives from Darmstadt to parliament via party lists, highlighting the complex regional political dynamics and party support distributions across Germany. [1, 3]