2005 North Rhine-Westphalia state election

2005 North Rhine-Westphalia state election

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All 187 seats in the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia, including 6 overhang and leveling seats 94 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	8,333,363 (63.0% 6.3pp)
First party Second party   Candidate Jürgen Rüttgers Peer Steinbrück Party CDU SPD Last election 88 seats, 37.0% 102 seats, 42.8% Seats won 89 74 Seat change 1 28 Popular vote 3,696,506 3,058,988 Percentage 44.8% 37.1% Swing 7.8pp 5.7pp   Third party Fourth party   Candidate Bärbel Höhn Ingo Wolf Party Greens FDP Last election 17 seats, 7.1% 24 seats, 9.8% Seats won 12 12 Seat change 5 12 Popular vote 509,293 508,266 Percentage 6.2% 6.2% Swing 0.9pp 3.6pp
Results for the single-member constituencies.
Government before election Steinbrück cabinet SPD–Green Government after election Rüttgers cabinet CDU–FDP

The 2005 North Rhine-Westphalia state election was held on 22 May 2005 to elect the 14th Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia. The outgoing government was a coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and The Greens led by Minister-President Peer Steinbrück.

The result was a landslide defeat for the SPD, as the party suffered its worst result in 50 years at 37% and was ousted from government for the first time since 1966. The opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) under Jürgen Rüttgers won a commanding victory with 45% of votes and came just short of a majority in the Landtag. The Greens also suffered losses, as did the Free Democratic Party (FDP), with both finishing on 6.2%.^[1] The CDU subsequently formed a coalition with the FDP, and Rüttgers was elected Minister-President by the Landtag on 22 June.

The result had important ramifications outside North Rhine-Westphalia: such a crushing defeat for the SPD in a stronghold state was viewed as an indication of unpopularity of the federal government led by Gerhard Schröder. On the evening of the election, Schröder announced he would seek an early federal election.^[a]

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