2018 Christian Democratic Union leadership election
← 2000 7–8 December 2018 2021 (Jan) →
999 delegates in the 31st CDU National Congress
500 delegates votes needed to win
 
Candidate Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer Friedrich Merz Jens Spahn
First round 450, 45.05 % 392, 39.24 % 157, 15.72 %
Runoff 517, 51.75 % 482, 48.25 % eliminated
Leader before election

Angela Merkel

 Elected Leader

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer

The 2018 Christian Democratic Union leadership election took place during the party's 31st Congress in Hamburg at the Messehallen convention center on 7–8 December following Angela Merkel's decision in October 2018 not to stand for party leader at the 2018 party conference following the party's bad performance[1] in the 2018 Hessian state election and the party's consistently low numbers in national polls.[2]

In the subsequent party executive meeting on 29 October 2018, both the CDU's General Secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and the Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn announced their candidacy in the election. This was followed by Merkel's former arch-rival Friedrich Merz, who announced his bid and his return to politics on 30 October 2018.[3][4] Spahn was eliminated after the first round, and Kramp-Karrenbauer subsequently won close-run second round of voting by 18 votes.[5]

Candidates

Declared

To be able to run as candidate for CDU leader, a person needs to be endorsed by a subdivision of the party (either the federal executive board or a state, district or local association) or the proposal by a delegate during the party convention.

Running

The following people ran in the leadership election, having fulfilled the criteria to become a candidate in the convention.

Announced

The following CDU politicians announced their intention to run for CDU leadership, but did not receive an endorsement by either a subdivision or a delegate.

Withdrew

The following politicians intended to run for the office, but withdrew their candidacy.

Declined

Endorsements

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
Organizations and platforms
  • CDU Saar [de], CDU state affiliate in Saarland[17]
  • Frauen-Union [de; fr], women's wing of the CDU[18]
  • Senioren-Union [de], seniors wing of the CDU[19]
  • Christlich-Demokratische Arbeitnehmerschaft, self-designation is "CDU social committee"[20]
  • Mittelstands- und Wirtschaftsvereinigung [de] Saarlands, entrepreneur, self-employment and freelancer wing of the CDU Saar[21]
  • Junge Union Saar, youth wing of the CDU Saar[21]
  • Union der Mitte, platform of centrist CDU politicians[22]
Individuals
  • Tobias Hans, Minister-President of Saarland[23]
  • Nadine Schön, Member of Bundestag and Deputy Parliamentary Leader[24]
  • Peter Weiß, Member of Bundestag[25]
  • Annette Widmann-Mauz, Member of Bundestag, Leader of the Frauen Union and Parliamentary Secretary for Migration[25]
  • Bernhard Vogel, former Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia and former President of the Bundesrat of Germany[26]
  • Katja Rathje-Hoffmann [de], Member of the Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein and state chairman of the Frauen-Union[27]
  • Kurt Biedenkopf, former Minister President of Saxony and former President of the Bundesrat[28]
  • Axel Müller, Member of Bundestag[29]
  • Thomas Heilmann, former Senator for Justice, consumer protection and anti-discrimination in Berlin and Member of Bundestag[30]
  • Jutta Schmitt-Lang [de], Member of Landtag of Saarland
  • Daniel Günther, Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein, President of the Bundesrat of Germany and Leader of the CDU Schleswig-Holstein[31]
  • Thomas de Maizière, former Minister of the Interior and former Minister for Defense, Member of Bundestag[32]
  • Annette Schavan, former Minister of Education and Research and Minister of Education, Youth and Sports of Baden-Württemberg[20]
  • Christian Haase, Member of the Bundestag and leader of the Kommunalpolitische Vereinigung der CDU und CSU Deutschlands [de], the communal wing of the CDU[20]
  • Karl-Josef Laumann, Member of the Bundestag, Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs for North Rhine-Westphalia, Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs for North Rhine-Westphalia, Vice Chairman of CDU North Rhine-Westphalia and leader of the CDA[33]
  • Norbert Blüm, former Federal Minister for Social Affairs and Labour and former member of the Bundestag[34]
  • Peter Altmaier, Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Member of the Bundestag, former Parliamentary Secretary of State for the Interior, former Minister of the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, former Minister of Finance and former Head of the Chancellery[35]
  • Peter Tauber, Parliamentary Secretary of State for Defence, former Secretary General of the Christian Democratic Union and Member of the Bundestag[36]
  • Herbert Reul, former Member of the European Parliament and State Minister for Internal Affairs[37]
  • Ingo Senftleben, leader of CDU in Brandenburg[38]
  • Hermann Gröhe, Member of the Bundestag, former Minister of State at the Federal Chancellery and former Federal Minister of Health[39]
  • Annette Bonin, leader of the Frauen Union of Mönchengladbach[40]
Friedrich Merz
Organizations and platforms
Individuals
Jens Spahn
Organizations and platforms
Individuals
  • Alexander Vogt, chairman of the Lesben und Schwule in der Union [de; pt; ru][61][62]
  • Philipp Amthor, Member of the Bundestag[59]
  • Günter Krings, former Parliamentary State Secretary at the Interior Federal Minister, former Deputy Chairman of the CDU / CSU parliamentary group for the areas of law, interior, sports and volunteer work, displaced persons, refugees and Aussiedler and Chairman of the CDU NRW regional group in the German Bundestag and leader of the Bundesarbeitskreis Christlich-Demokratischer Juristen [de], the jurist wing of the CDU.[59]

Opinion polling

Publication date Poll source
Günther
Klöckner
Kramp-Karrenbauer
Laschet
von der Leyen
Merz
Spahn 		None/
Others
7 Dec 2018 Forsa — — 41 — — 28 5 26
6 Dec 2018 Infratest dimap — — 45 — — 30 10 15
30 Nov 2018 Infratest dimap — — 39 — — 26 9 26
23 Nov 2018 FGW — — 30 — — 24 6 40
17 Nov 2018 Emnid — — 30 — — 31 12 27
15 Nov 2018 Infratest dimap — — 43 — — 32 10 15
11 Nov 2018 Emnid — — 32 — — 30 9 29
9 Nov 2018 FGW — — 31 — — 25 6 38
4 Nov 2018 Emnid — — 27 — — 38 13 22
1 Nov 2018 YouGov Archived 2019-09-12 at the Wayback Machine — — 17 — — 23 7 53
30 Oct 2018 Civey 6.4 2.4 19.2 6.2 2.1 33.7 6.2 23.8
30 Oct 2018 YouGov Archived 2019-09-12 at the Wayback Machine — — 18 6 — 21 6 49
30 Oct 2018 Forsa
(Multiple choice) 		— — 46 28 — 45 22
Among Delegates
Publication date Poll source
Kramp-Karrenbauer
Merz
Spahn 		None/
Others
1 Dec 2018 BILD 96 144 29 732
(42 either Kramp-K. or Merz)
Only Union/CDU Voters
Publication date Poll source
Kramp-Karrenbauer
Laschet
Merz
Spahn 		None/
Others
7 Dec 2018 Forsa 49 — 35 6 10
6 Dec 2018 Infratest dimap 47 — 37 12 4
30 Nov 2018 Infratest dimap 48 — 35 2 15
23 Nov 2018 FGW 38 — 29 6 27
17 Nov 2018 Emnid 32 — 49 7 12
15 Nov 2018 Infratest dimap 46 — 31 12 11
9 Nov 2018 FGW 35 — 33 7 25
4 Nov 2018 Emnid 39 — 44 9 8
30 Oct 2018 Forsa
(Multiple choice) 		62 36 53 29

Results

Candidate First Round Second Round
Votes % Votes %
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer 450 45.05 517 51.75
Friedrich Merz 392 39.24 482 48.25
Jens Spahn 157 15.72
Total valid votes  999 100.0  999 100.0
Invalid/blank votes – – – –
Total votes 999 100.0 999 100.0
Source: BR Archived 2019-12-06 at the Wayback Machine Welt
First Round
Kramp
 
 45.05%
Merz
 
 39.24%
Spahn
 
 15.72%
Second Round
Kramp
 
 51.75%
Merz
 
 48.25%

References

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