This is a list of candidates for the 2025 German federal election.
29 political parties are contesting the election. There are reportedly 1,700 fewer candidates in this election than in 2021. The oldest candidate is 79 and the youngest is 17.
Lead candidates by party The Federal Chancellor is elected by the Bundestag on the proposal of the Federal President. In addition to this actual procedure, parties running for election put forward candidates who are intended to become Federal Chancellor if they win the election. Opinion polls take this into account in part by asking about the popularity of the Chancellor candidate.
The following are the top candidates for each party on the state lists:
SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz from the Social Democratic Party announced in 2022 that he would also run as the SPD's candidate for chancellor in the 2025 federal election. In addition to Scholz, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had also been considered as a candidate for chancellor based on popularity polls. However, Pistorius announced in November 2024 that he wanted to remain defence minister in a new government. StateList leaderStateList leaderBaden-WürttembergSaskia EskenBavariaCarsten TrägerBerlinRuppert StüweBrandenburgOlaf ScholzBremenUlrike HillerHamburgWolfgang SchmidtHesseSören BartolMecklenburg-VorpommernReem Alabali-RadovanLower SaxonyLars KlingbeilNorth Rhine-WestphaliaRolf MützenichRhineland-PalatinateTanja MachaletSaarlandEsra LimbacherSaxonyKathrin MichelSaxony-AnhaltMartin KröberSchleswig-HolsteinTim KlüssendorfThuringiaCarsten Schneider
CDU In September 2024, the leaders of the CDU and CSU agreed on Friedrich Merz as candidate for chancellor. Minister-President of Bavaria Markus Söder declined. Hendrik Wüst had previously announced his withdrawal and pledged his support for Merz. Daniel Günther had also previously been named as a potential candidate. StateList leaderStateList leaderBaden-WürttembergThorsten FreiBavaria (CSU)Alexander DobrindtBerlinJan-Marco LuczakBrandenburgUwe FeilerBremenThomas RöwekampHamburgChristoph PloßHessePatricia LipsMecklenburg-VorpommernPhilipp AmthorLower SaxonyMathias MiddelbergNorth Rhine-WestphaliaFriedrich MerzRhineland-PalatinateJulia KlöcknerSaarlandRoland TheisSaxonyCarsten KörberSaxony-AnhaltSepp MüllerSchleswig-HolsteinJohann WadephulThuringiaChristian Hirte
Alliance 90/The Greens For Alliance 90/The Greens, Annalena Baerbock announced in July 2024 that she would not run for chancellor again. Robert Habeck announced in November 2024 that he would apply for the candidacy. Both Baerbock and Habeck are expected to be their party's top candidates. StateList leaderStateList leaderBaden-WürttembergFranziska BrantnerBavariaJamila SchäferBerlinLisa PausBrandenburgAnnalena BaerbockBremenKirsten Kappert-GontherHamburgKatharina BeckHesseAnna LührmannMecklenburg-VorpommernClaudia MüllerLower SaxonyFiliz PolatNorth Rhine-WestphaliaBritta HaßelmannRhineland-PalatinateMisbah KhanSaarlandJeanne DillschneiderSaxonyPaula PiechottaSaxony-AnhaltSteffi LemkeSchleswig-HolsteinLuise AmtsbergThuringiaKatrin Göring-Eckardt
FDP Christian Lindner announced in November 2024 that he would again run as the Free Democratic Party (FDP) top candidate in the 2025 federal election. StateList leaderStateList leaderBaden-WürttembergJudith SkudelnyBavariaMartin HagenBerlinChristoph MeyerBrandenburgLinda TeutebergBremenVolker RedderHamburgRia SchröderHesseBettina Stark-WatzingerMecklenburg-VorpommernChristian BarteltLower SaxonyChristian DürrNorth Rhine-WestphaliaChristian LindnerRhineland-PalatinateCarina KonradSaarlandOliver LuksicSaxonyTorsten HerbstSaxony-AnhaltMarcus FaberSchleswig-HolsteinWolfgang KubickiThuringiaTim Wagner
AfD In June 2023, Alice Weidel announced that Alternative for Germany (AfD) would nominate a candidate for chancellor for the first time. At the end of September 2024, the two chairmen Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel agreed that Weidel herself should lead the party into the election campaign as candidate for chancellor. In December 2024, Weidel was nominated as candidate for chancellor by the AfD's federal executive board; the party thus wants to nominate a female candidate for chancellor for a federal election for the first time. The nomination will be decided at the party conference in January 2025. StateList leaderStateList leaderBaden-WürttembergAlice WeidelBavariaStephan ProtschkaBerlinBeatrix von StorchBrandenburgRené SpringerBremenSergej MinichHamburgBernd BaumannHesseJan NolteMecklenburg-VorpommernLeif-Erik HolmLower SaxonyDirk BrandesNorth Rhine-WestphaliaKay GottschalkRhineland-PalatinateSebastian MünzenmaierSaarlandCarsten BeckerSaxonyTino ChrupallaSaxony-AnhaltMartin ReichardtSchleswig-HolsteinKurt KleinschmidtThuringiaStephan Brandner
Die Linke In November 2024, the Die Linke party announced the chairwoman of the Bundestag group Heidi Reichinnek and the new party leader Jan van Aken as its top candidates. StateList leaderStateList leaderBaden-WürttembergSahra MirowBavariaAtes GürpinarBerlinGregor GysiBrandenburgChristian GörkeBremenDoris AchelwilmHamburgJan van AkenHesseJanine WisslerMecklenburg-VorpommernDietmar BartschLower SaxonyHeidi ReichinnekNorth Rhine-WestphaliaSascha H. WagnerRhineland-PalatinateGerhard TrabertSaarlandMoses ArndtSaxonySören PellmannSaxony-AnhaltJanina BöttgerSchleswig-HolsteinLorenz Gösta BeutinThuringiaBodo Ramelow
BSW For the BSW party, founded in January 2024, the eponymous founder Sahra Wagenknecht is expected to be the top candidate. StateList leaderStateList leaderBaden-WürttembergJessica TattiBavariaKlaus ErnstBerlinOliver RuhnertBrandenburgFriederike BendaBremenChristopher SchulzeHamburgŻaklin NastićHesseAli Al-DailamiMecklenburg-VorpommernFriedrich StraetmannsLower SaxonyAmira Mohamed AliNorth Rhine-WestphaliaSahra WagenknechtRhineland-PalatinateAlexander UlrichSaarlandDesiree KanySaxonyMarcel MachillSaxony-AnhaltMichael LüdersSchleswig-HolsteinMilad SalamiThuringiaRobert Henning
Candidates by constituency
Baden-Württemberg State lists by party:
Larger parties SPDCDUGRÜNEFDPAfDLINKEBSW#Candidate#Candidate#Candidate#Candidate#Candidate#Candidate#Candidate1Saskia Esken1Thorsten Frei1Franziska Brantner1Judith Skudelny1Alice Weidel1Sahra Mirow1Jessica Tatti2Nils Schmid2Nina Warken2Ricarda Lang2Florian Toncar2Markus Frohnmaier2Luigi Pantisano2Manfred Hentz3Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter3Andreas Jung3Agnieszka Brugger3Michael Georg Link3Martin Hess3Gökay Akbulut3Ralph Suikat4Martin Gerster4Ronja Kemmer4Sebastian Schäfer4Pascal Kober4Marc Bernhard4Vinzenz Glaser4Richard Pitterle5Katja Mast5Christina Stumpp5Sandra Detzer5Benjamin Strasser5Ruben Rupp5Anne Zerr5Cedric Schiele6Johannes Fechner6Alexander Föhr6Marcel Emmerich6Jens Brandenburg6Hans-Jürgen Goßner6Marcel Bauer6Anja Titze7Jasmina Hostert7Melis Sekmen7Zoe Mayer7Renata Alt7Jürgen Koegel7Amelie Vollmer7Monika Knoche8Parsa Marvi8Elisabeth Schick-Ebert8Harald Ebner8Ann-Veruschka Jurisch8Diana Zimmer8Ralf Jaster8Michael Jäger9Isabel Cademartori9Maximilian Mörseburg9Chantal Kopf9Stephan Seiter9Achim Köhler9Avra Enim9Karl-Heinz Beiter10Macit Karaahmetoglu10Lilly Hummel10Matthias Gastel10Martin Gassner-Herz10Lars Haise10Jürgen Creutzmann10Rainer Büttner11Derya Türk-Nachbaur11Klaus Schüle11Anja Reinalter11Konrad Stockmeier11Alexander Arpaschi11Nadja Schmidt11Susanne Alt12Lars Castellucci12Sarah Schmid-Nürnberg12Jan-Lukas Schmitt12Valentin Abel12Malte Kaufmann12Justus Heine12Hans Horn13Lina Seitzl13Christian Natterer13Anna Christmann13Julian Grünke13Joachim Bloch13Clara Meier14Leon Hahn14Hermann Färber14Tobias Bacherle14Andreas Anton14Michael Blos14Thomas Hanser15Lucia Schanbacher1515Simone Fischer15Rainer Semet15Heinrich Koch15Nina Eisenmann16Kevin Leiser16Carmen Alexandra Jäger16Jasmin Ateia16Anke Hillmann-Richter16Johann Martel16Maximilian Krippner17Heike Engelhardt17Marie-Sophie Lanig17Jaron Immer17Anna Ortwein17Martina Kempf17Ellena Schumacher Koelsch18Robin Mesarosch18Silke Kurz18Ann-Margret Amui-Vedel18Mark Hohensee18Sieghard Knodel18Marcell Menzel19Franziska Blessing19Ellen Freudenmann-Habel19Jürgen Kretz19Dominic Frank19Paul Schmidt19Mara Zeltmann20Lukas Hornung20Robert Märsch20Nina Wellenreuther20Nathalie Wagner20Sandro Scheer20Martin Auerbach21Nezaket Yildirim21Vera Huber21Marin Juric21Akif Akyildiz21Benjamin Götz22Jens Schäfer22Pauline Borchard22Sarah Heim22Tim Nusser22Dieter Glatting23Argyri Paraschaki-Schauer23Karin Möhle23Sebastian Grässer23Jan-Felix Stöffler23Christine Schäfer24Ludwig Striet24Gordian Felix Schwarz24Susanne Floss24Andrey Belkin24Christian Köhler25Cornelia True25Leon Kolb25Andreas Ragoschke-Schumm25Eileen Lerche25Sebastian van Ryt26Florian Zarnetta26Felix Ockenfuß26Asli Kücük26Mirwais Wafa27Mirko Witkowski27Denise Marie Hradecky27Lars Maximilian Schweizer27Ben Dippe28Assad Hussain28Volker Noseck28Jeanette Behringer28Christian Melchior29Tim-Luka Schwab29Julia Mayer29Moritz Franz-Gerstein29Ruben Hühnerbein30Sebastian Weigle30Rainer Staib30Rosa Buss30Mark Wieczorrek31Philipp Hensinger31Dominik Apel31Ahmad Al Hamidi31Oliver Martin32Tim Tugendhat32Lars Sakal32Elisabeth Schilli32Amir Ismaili33Sebastian Gillmeister33Jessica Csikova33Jonathan Ebert33Sebastian Weber34Dirk Flacke34Nico Ruß34Clara Wellhäußer34Chris-Robert Berendt35Urs Abelein35Christian Kastner35Frank Konrad Brede35Philipp Berner36Mario Sickinger36Silke Rombach36Thuy Nga Trinh36Laura Hahn37Dietmar Bulat37Hero Katharina Merkel37Thomas Rink37Boris Kraft38Anette Groschupp39Valérie Mänder40Heidi Liebert41Felix Wiesner42Patrick Speiser43Ann-Kathrin Flik44Felix Lehmann45Daniel Funke46Patricia Schmid47Hans Dieter Pfohl48Athanassia Vassiliadis49Klaus Hoffmann50Alexandra Zink-Colacicco51Yannik Thomas Senn52Christoph Zalder53Stephanie Schmidt-Weiss54Lisa Domat55Tizian Mattes56Hasan Avci57Gerhard Lutz58Lance Neidig59Corinna Große
Smaller parties