Greiz II

Greiz II is one of 44 electoral constituencies (German: Wahlkreise) represented in the Landtag of Thuringia, which usually has twice as many members, 88.

Each constituency elects one member via first-past-the-post voting (first vote, or direct vote), while others may get elected via their state-wide party list. This second vote, or party vote, is more significant as it determines the party proportions and majorities in the parliament, thus the number of members of each party, while the first vote only has some influence on which persons from a major party are elected. It is insignificant to small parties, most of them don't bother to run a direct candidate unless he holds a high and relatively "safe" rank on the state-wide party list from which the additional 44 members are selected.

Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 40 of 44. It covers the eastern part of the district of Greiz.

Greiz II was created for the 1994 state election. Since 2014, it has been represented by Christian Tischner of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Several other candidates also became member of the state parliament via their party list, like Heike Taubert (SPD), member of the left-wing coalition state government since 2014.

Geography

As of the 2019 state election, Greiz II covers the eastern part of the district of Greiz, specifically the municipalities of Berga/Elster, Bethenhausen, Brahmenau, Braunichswalde, Endschütz, Gauern, Greiz, Großenstein, Hilbersdorf, Hirschfeld, Kauern, Korbußen, Linda b. Weida, Mohlsdorf-Teichwolframsdorf, Neumühle/Elster, Paitzdorf, Pölzig, Reichstädt, Ronneburg, Rückersdorf, Schwaara, Seelingstädt, Teichwitz, and Wünschendorf/Elster.

Members

The constituency has been held by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since its creation in 1994. Its first representative was Horst Krauße, who served from 1994 to 2014. Since 2014, it has been represented by Christian Tischner.

Election		Member	Party	%
	1994	Horst Krauße	CDU	42.6
	1999			48.1
	2004			43.1
	2009			29.9
	2014	Christian Tischner	CDU	34.7
	2019			30.4
	2024			43.0

Election results

2024 election

The 2024 Thuringian state election on September 1 was different for Greiz II district due to the first time candidacy of Björn Höcke, leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Thuringia, and arguably its most controversial figure nation-wide. Also, the leading party in the state, The Left (Germany), had split up in winter, creating Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW).

Since 2014, Höcke ran twice in Eichsfeld I, a catholic region with a firm CDU 50+% majority, and became member of state parliament due to his high and "safe" position on the AfD party list, number 1. Due to these lists, even the top figures of small 5+% parties will become parliament members, without running in a district, or doing there very poorly. On the other hand, if a party wins many constituencies, but ends up with popular vote to low to back them up, no seat might be assigned via list, and party leaders might be left out if they were not among the winners in a district. In fact, the CDU in 2019 had won nearly half of all districts, 21, but their third place popular vote of 21.7% would earn them only 20 seats in a 88 seat parliament, which was enlarged to 90 to accommodate 21 CDU seats. The AfD had won 23.4% of the popular vote, and 22 of 90 seats, eleven each direct and from list.

The growing success of the AfD, which became the leading party in polls, but due to more than two parties being involved at only 30+%, thus might have led to the strange case of leading AfD politicians not making the parliament any-more via list, only if they win a district. The same scenario traditionally applies to the leading party in Bavaria, the CSU. Höcke thus looked for a district with better chances, and was nominated in Greiz II. As it turned out, in 2024 the AfD came in first with 32.8% of the popular vote, 32 of 88 seats, 29 direct, and three from the list, for Höcke and two others.

State election (2024): Greiz II
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	%	±%
	AfD	Björn Höcke		10,362	38.9	13.6	9,941	37.1	11.1
	CDU	Y Christian Tischner		11,437	43.0	12.6	7,265	27.1	2.6
	BSW	—					4,076	15.2	15.2
	Left	Leon Maximilian Walter		1,995	7.5	12.1	2,846	10.6	17.4
	SPD	Heike Taubert		2,345	8.8	4.9	1,034	3.9	4.3
	Greens	—				3.2	361	1.3	1.7
	FDP	Gernot Sengewald		484	1.8	3.7	283	1.0	4.0
	Other parties						989	3.7
Informal votes				435			263
Total valid votes				26,623			26,795
Turnout				27,058	75.1	9.3
	CDU hold		Majority	3.879	4.1	1.0

2019 election

State election (2019): Greiz II
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 Christian Tischner		7,558	30.4	4.3	6,097	24.5	10.3
	AfD	Sigvald Hahn		6,306	25.3	13.0	6,468	26.0	13.3
	Left	Frank Tempel		4,869	19.6	2.6	6,982	28.0	3.1
	SPD	Heike Taubert		3,401	13.7	7.9	2,050	8.2	7.0
	FDP	Jens Meyer		1,358	5.5	2.8	1,262	5.1	2.7
	Greens	Katja Grunert		793	3.2	0.6	752	3.0	0.5
	Independent	Detlef Zietan		566	2.3
	MLPD	Adrian Manuel Mauson		41	0.2		63	0.3
	List-only parties						1,233	5.0
Informal votes				327			312
Total valid votes				24,892			24,907
Turnout				25,219	65.8	10.0
	CDU hold		Majority	1,252	5.1	7.4

2014 election

State election (2014): Greiz II
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	Christian Tischner		8,016	34.7	4.6	8,050	34.8	0.6
	Left	Holger Steiniger		5,135	22.2	1.0	5,769	24.9	0.1
	SPD	Heike Taubert		4,988	21.6	3.8	3,516	15.2	4.0
	AfD	Bärbel Kowsky		2,851	12.3		2,932	12.7
	NPD	David Köckert		892	3.9	0.8	1,011	4.4	0.2
	FDP	Jens Meyer		619	2.7	10.0	552	2.4	6.5
	Greens	Martin Kleinsteuber		602	2.6	1.2	799	3.5	0.9
	List-only parties						523	2.3
Informal votes				418			369
Total valid votes				23,103			23,152
Turnout				23,521	55.8	0.8
	CDU hold		Majority	2,891	12.5	7.8

2009 election

State election (2009): Greiz II
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 Horst Krauße		7,233	29.9	13.2	8,643	35.6	10.4
	SPD	Heike Taubert		6,274	26.0	4.2	4,698	19.4	3.4
	Left	Diana Skibbe		5,520	22.9	3.2	5,958	24.6	1.6
	FDP	Wilhelm Wüstner		3,081	12.8	7.1	2,136	8.8	5.2
	NPD	Norman Wilkens		1,140	4.7		1,019	4.2	2.6
	Greens	Johannes Möstl		909	3.8	0.6	1,064	4.4	1.2
	List-only parties						746	3.1
Informal votes				599			492
Total valid votes				24,157			24,264
Turnout				24,756	56.9	3.4
	CDU hold		Majority	959	3.9	13.1

2004 election

State election (2004): Greiz II
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 Horst Krauße		9,986	43.1	5.0	10,779	46.0	6.0
	PDS	Diana Skibbe		6,038	26.1	5.3	5,402	23.0	3.8
	SPD	Heike Taubert		5,048	21.8	4.3	3,752	16.0	4.2
	FDP	Horst Gerber		1,323	5.7	3.7	839	3.6	2.7
	Greens	Till Hafner		752	3.2		739	3.2	2.0
	List-only parties						1,946	8.3
Informal votes				1,404			1,094
Total valid votes				23,147			23,457
Turnout				24,551	53.5	4.9
	CDU hold		Majority	3,948	17.0	5.0

1999 election

State election (1999): Greiz II
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 Horst Krauße		13,158	48.1	5.5	14,303	52.0	7.4
	SPD	Harald Seidel		7,144	26.1	9.5	5,544	20.2	11.3
	PDS	Bernd Grimm		5,690	20.8	7.8	5,268	19.2	5.8
	REP	Harald Seeger		820	3.0		363	1.3	0.2
	FDP	Hanno Sengewald		548	2.0	1.3	252	0.9	2.0
	List-only parties						1,479	5.4
Informal votes				628			479
Total valid votes				27,360			27,509
Turnout				27,988	58.4	16.1
	CDU hold		Majority	6,014	22.0	15.0

1994 election

State election (1994): Greiz II
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	Horst Krauße		15,191	42.6		16,092	44.8
	SPD			12,712	35.6		11,334	31.5
	PDS			4,586	12.9		4,773	13.3
	Greens			2,009	5.6		1,456	4.1
	FDP			1,182	3.3		1,028	2.9
	List-only parties						1,263	3.5
Informal votes				1,235			969
Total valid votes				35,680			35,946
Turnout				36,915	74.5
	CDU win new seat		Majority	2,479	7.0