Overview of Hessian Spitzenkandidaten in the Federal Election Campaign
CDU: Ines Claus
Ines Claus, Deputy Chairwoman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, is leading the Hessian CDU in the upcoming federal election for the first time as a woman. Since 2002, she has represented the electoral district 187, which includes the Odenwaldkreis and the eastern parts of the districts of Darmstadt-Dieburg and Offenbach. The 61-year-old is said to have a close rapport with the Union’s candidate for chancellor, Friedrich Merz.
SPD: Sören Bartol
Sören Bartol, State Chairman of the SPD, is the Spitzenkandidat for the party in Hesse. In December, he was elected to the top spot on the party’s list with 87.2% of the votes at the state party conference in Gießen. Bartol has also been a member of the Bundestag since 2002, representing the Marburg constituency. The 50-year-old political scientist currently holds the position of Parliamentary State Secretary in two ministries: the Federal Ministry of Construction and the Federal Ministry of Transport.
Greens: Anna Lührmann and Omid Nouripour
The Green Party traditionally enters the election campaign with a top duo. Anna Lührmann, at the age of 19, became the youngest member of the Bundestag in its history in 2002. The PhD holder later taught at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and has been a member of the Bundestag again since 2021. She is also Minister of State for Europe and Climate in the Federal Foreign Office.
Omid Nouripour, born in Tehran in 1975, moved to Germany with his family at the age of 13. He has been a member of the Bundestag since 2006 and is considered an experienced foreign policy expert. From 2022 to 2024, he served as Federal Chairman of his party together with Ricarda Lang.
AfD: Jan Nolte
Jan Nolte, a 36-year-old member of the Bundestag, is leading the AfD’s campaign in Hesse. At a nominating convention in Hofheim am Taunus, he received 268 of 283 valid votes for the top spot on the party’s state list.
FDP: Bettina Stark-Watzinger
Bettina Stark-Watzinger, former Federal Minister of Education, is leading the Free Democrats in Hesse. The 56-year-old is Deputy Federal Chairperson of the FDP and has been a member of the Bundestag since 2017.
Left Party: Janine Wissler
Janine Wissler, elected Federal Chairperson of the Left Party from 2021 to 2024, is also the Spitzenkandidatin for the party in Hesse. She has been politically active for many years and joined the WASG (Wahlalternative Arbeit und soziale Gerechtigkeit) in 2004. Since 2021, Wissler has represented the Left Party in the Bundestag.
Sahra Wagenknecht’s Bündnis (BSW): Ali Al-Dailami
Ali Al-Dailami, a 43-year-old member of the Bundestag, is the Spitzenkandidat for BSW in Hesse. At a party congress in Wiesbaden, he received 95% of the votes for the top spot on the state list.
