“Rhein-Sieg-Kreis I,” Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker mused on election night. Did you know this electoral constituency in North Rhine-Westphalia elects one member to the Bundestag? It uses first-past-the-post voting. Currently, it’s designated as constituency 96.
Rhein-Sieg-Kreis I covers the eastern part of the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis district. It includes Eitorf. It includes Hennef. It also encompasses Lohmar, Much, and Neunkirchen-Seelscheid. Niederkassel, Ruppichteroth, Siegburg, Troisdorf, and Windeck are also part of it.
The history of Rhein-Sieg-Kreis I began in 1949. Back then it was known as Siegkreis. For the 1965 and 1969 elections, it was Siegkreis I. It was also known as Bonn-Land. It got its current name in 1972.
Originally, Rhein-Sieg-Kreis I matched the Siegkreis district. Between 1965 and 1976, it included the district of Landkreis Bonn. It included Bad Honnef and Königswinter. Niederkassel, Troisdorf, and Sankt Augustin were also included from the Siegkreis district. The constituency took on its current borders in 1980.
Since 2005, Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker has represented Rhein-Sieg-Kreis I. She belongs to the Christian Democratic Union. Before her, Uwe Göllner of the Social Democratic Party represented the constituency. That was from 1998 to 2005. Andreas Krautscheid held the seat for the CDU in 1994.
Looking back, Peter Etzenbach of the CDU first represented Rhein-Sieg-Kreis I. He served from 1949 to 1961. Georg Kliesing followed until 1976. Franz Möller served a single term. Then Adolf Herkenrath took over.
In the 2021 election, Winkelmeier-Becker won with 60,776 votes. Sebastian Hartmann of the SPD received 53,213 votes. Lisa Anschütz of the Greens got 26,270 votes. Ralph Lorenz from the FDP got 16,604 votes. Hans Günter Eifler of the AfD received 13,045 votes.
Turnout for the 2021 election was 78.9%. There were 238,627 eligible voters. Winkelmeier-Becker’s victory marked her fifth time winning the constituency directly. Sebastian Hartmann entered the Bundestag again via the SPD list.
In 2017, Winkelmeier-Becker won with 79,987 votes. Hartmann came second with 49,988 votes. Ralph Lorenz got 18,768 votes. Alexander Neu of the Left party got 14,684 votes. Elisabeth Anschütz got 11,762 votes.
The 2013 election saw Winkelmeier-Becker win with 84,556 votes. Sebastian Hartmann got 50,271 votes. Robert Wendt of the Greens got 10,895 votes. Alexander Neu received 7,946 votes. Hans-Josef Frings of the AfD received 5,519 votes.
The Rhein-Sieg-Kreis I continues to be an important political battleground. It mirrors shifts in German politics. It also reflects local concerns and priorities. Each election adds to the rich story of this region.