Bottrop – Recklinghausen III
# Bottrop – Recklinghausen III

Bottrop – Recklinghausen III is an electoral constituency (German: Wahlkreis) represented in the Bundestag. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 125. It is located in the Ruhr region of North Rhine-Westphalia, comprising the city of Bottrop and western parts of the Recklinghausen district.

Bottrop – Recklinghausen III was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. Since 2009, it has been represented by Michael Gerdes of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

## Geography

Bottrop – Recklinghausen III is located in the Ruhr region of North Rhine-Westphalia. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the independent city of Bottrop as well as the municipalities of Dorsten and Gladbeck from the Recklinghausen district.

## History

Bottrop – Recklinghausen III was created in 1949, then known as Gladbeck – Bottrop. From 1965 through 1976, it was named Bottrop – Gladbeck. From 1980 through 1998, it was named Bottrop – Recklinghausen IV. It acquired its current name in the 2002 election. In the 1949 election, it was North Rhine-Westphalia constituency 43 in the numbering system. From 1953 through 1961, it was number 102. From 1965 through 1976, it was number 101. From 1980 through 1998, it was number 95. From 2002 through 2009, it was number 126. Since 2013, it has been number 125.

Originally, the constituency comprised the independent cities of Bottrop and Gladbeck. Gladbeck was incorporated into the Recklinghausen district in 1976, but the constituency's borders did not change. In the 2002 election, it acquired the municipality of Dorsten from Recklinghausen district.

| Election | No. | Name | Borders |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1949 | 43 | Gladbeck – Bottrop | Bottrop city Gladbeck city |
| 1953 | 102 | Gladbeck – Bottrop | Bottrop city Gladbeck city |
| 1957 | 102 | Gladbeck – Bottrop | Bottrop city Gladbeck city |
| 1961 | 102 | Gladbeck – Bottrop | Bottrop city Gladbeck city |
| 1965 | 101 | Bottrop – Gladbeck | Bottrop city Gladbeck city |
| 1969 | 101 | Bottrop – Gladbeck | Bottrop city Gladbeck city |
| 1972 | 101 | Bottrop – Gladbeck | Bottrop city Gladbeck city |
| 1976 | 101 | Bottrop – Gladbeck | Bottrop city Recklinghausen district (only Gladbeck municipality) |
| 1980 | 95 | Bottrop – Recklinghausen IV | Bottrop city Recklinghausen district (only Gladbeck municipality) |
| 1983 | 95 | Bottrop – Recklinghausen IV | Bottrop city Recklinghausen district (only Gladbeck municipality) |
| 1987 | 95 | Bottrop – Recklinghausen IV | Bottrop city Recklinghausen district (only Gladbeck municipality) |
| 1990 | 95 | Bottrop – Recklinghausen IV | Bottrop city Recklinghausen district (only Gladbeck municipality) |
| 1994 | 95 | Bottrop – Recklinghausen IV | Bottrop city Recklinghausen district (only Gladbeck municipality) |
| 1998 | 95 | Bottrop – Recklinghausen IV | Bottrop city Recklinghausen district (only Gladbeck municipality) |
| 2002 | 126 | Bottrop – Recklinghausen III | Bottrop city Recklinghausen district (only Dorsten and Gladbeck municipalities) |
| 2005 | 126 | Bottrop – Recklinghausen III | Bottrop city Recklinghausen district (only Dorsten and Gladbeck municipalities) |
| 2009 | 126 | Bottrop – Recklinghausen III | Bottrop city Recklinghausen district (only Dorsten and Gladbeck municipalities) |
| 2013 | 125 | Bottrop – Recklinghausen III | Bottrop city Recklinghausen district (only Dorsten and Gladbeck municipalities) |
| 2017 | 125 | Bottrop – Recklinghausen III | Bottrop city Recklinghausen district (only Dorsten and Gladbeck municipalities) |
| 2021 | 125 | Bottrop – Recklinghausen III | Bottrop city Recklinghausen district (only Dorsten and Gladbeck municipalities) |

## Members

The constituency has been held by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) during all but three Bundestag terms since 1949. It was first represented by Wilhelm Tenhagen of the SPD from 1949 to 1953. Johann Harnischfeger of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won it in 1953 and served three terms. Johann Wuwer regained it for the SPD in 1965 and served until 1980. Franz-Josef Mertens was then representative from 1980 to 1994, when he was succeeded by Dieter Grasedieck. In 2009, Michael Gerdes was elected representative. He was re-elected in 2013, 2017, and 2021.

| Election | Member | Party | % |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1949 | Wilhelm Tenhagen | SPD | 35.6 |
| 1953 | Johann Harnischfeger | CDU | 46.7 |
| 1957 | Johann Harnischfeger | CDU | 50.8 |
| 1961 | Johann Harnischfeger | CDU | 46.6 |
| 1965 | Johann Wuwer | SPD | 52.9 |
| 1969 | Johann Wuwer | SPD | 57.2 |
| 1972 | Johann Wuwer | SPD | 64.7 |
| 1976 | Johann Wuwer | SPD | 60.0 |
| 1980 | Franz-Josef Mertens | SPD | 59.9 |
| 1983 | Franz-Josef Mertens | SPD | 57.4 |
| 1987 | Franz-Josef Mertens | SPD | 58.2 |
| 1990 | Franz-Josef Mertens | SPD | 56.0 |
| 1994 | Dieter Grasedieck | SPD | 57.4 |
| 1998 | Dieter Grasedieck | SPD | 63.2 |
| 2002 | Dieter Grasedieck | SPD | 57.6 |
| 2005 | Dieter Grasedieck | SPD | 56.0 |
| 2009 | Michael Gerdes | SPD | 42.8 |
| 2013 | Michael Gerdes | SPD | 45.8 |
| 2017 | Michael Gerdes | SPD | 36.8 |
| 2021 | Michael Gerdes | SPD | 39.1 |

## Election results

### 2021 election

Federal election (2021): Bottrop – Recklinghausen III :

| Notes: | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
| | SPD | Y Michael Gerdes | Y Michael Gerdes | 57,560 | 39.1 | 2.3 | 51,637 | 35.0 | 3.7 |
| | CDU | Sven Volmering | Sven Volmering | 39,834 | 27.0 | 6.6 | 36,814 | 24.9 | 4.9 |
| | Greens | Kim Wiesweg | Kim Wiesweg | 15,144 | 10.3 | 5.9 | 16,434 | 11.1 | 6.3 |
| | AfD | Detlef Bauer | Detlef Bauer | 14,075 | 9.6 | 2.3 | 13,899 | 9.4 | 3.0 |
| | FDP | Sebastian Steinzen | Sebastian Steinzen | 11,352 | 7.7 | 1.3 | 14,647 | 9.9 | 0.5 |
| | Left | Lisa Ellermann | Lisa Ellermann | 3,887 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 4,484 | 3.0 | 3.8 |
| | Tierschutzpartei | | | | | | 2,536 | 1.7 | 0.8 |
| | PARTEI | Ingo Lilienthal | Ingo Lilienthal | 3,283 | 2.2 | | 1,757 | 1.2 | 0.5 |
| | Team Todenhöfer | | | | | | 1,246 | 0.8 | |
| | dieBasis | Norbert Manniegel | Norbert Manniegel | 1,373 | 0.9 | | 1,048 | 0.7 | |
| | FW | | | | | | 661 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| | Pirates | | | | | | 526 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| | Volt | | | | | | 257 | 0.2 | |
| | DKP | Jörg Wingold | Jörg Wingold | 514 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 236 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| | LIEBE | | | | | | 232 | 0.2 | |
| | ÖDP | | | | | | 200 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| | Gesundheitsforschung | | | | | | 200 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| | LfK | | | | | | 152 | 0.1 | |
| | NPD | | | | | | 150 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| | V-Partei3 | | | | | | 89 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| | Humanists | | | | | | 85 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| | LKR | Klausjochen Berger | Klausjochen Berger | 226 | 0.2 | | 81 | 0.1 | |
| | MLPD | Bärbel Kersken | Bärbel Kersken | 108 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 78 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| | du. | | | | | | 76 | 0.1 | |
| | PdF | | | | | | 50 | 0.0 | |
| | Bündnis C | | | | | | 31 | 0.0 | |
| | PSG | | | | | | 17 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,378 | | | 1,111 | | |
| Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | 147,356 | | | 147,623 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 148,734 | 74.6 | 0.3 | | | |
| | SPD hold | SPD hold | Majority | 17,726 | 12.1 | 8.9 | | | |

### 2017 election

Federal election (2017): Bottrop – Recklinghausen III :

| Notes: | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
| | SPD | Y Michael Gerdes | Y Michael Gerdes | 55,128 | 36.8 | 9.0 | 47,013 | 31.2 | 8.9 |
| | CDU | Sven Volmering | Sven Volmering | 50,334 | 33.6 | 2.9 | 44,967 | 29.9 | 5.0 |
| | AfD | Alfred Stegemann | Alfred Stegemann | 17,756 | 11.8 | 8.1 | 18,710 | 12.4 | 8.3 |
| | FDP | Tristian Zielinski | Tristian Zielinski | 9,667 | 6.5 | 4.8 | 15,741 | 10.5 | 7.0 |
| | Left | David Sperl | David Sperl | 9,505 | 6.3 | 1.0 | 10,292 | 6.8 | 0.6 |
| | Greens | Andrea Swoboda | Andrea Swoboda | 6,522 | 4.4 | 0.7 | 7,248 | 4.8 | 0.6 |
| | Tierschutzpartei | | | | | | 1,330 | 0.9 | |
| | AD-DEMOKRATEN | | | | | | 1,140 | 0.8 | |
| | PARTEI | | | | | | 1,062 | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| | Pirates | | | | | | 667 | 0.4 | 1.6 |
| | NPD | | | | | | 421 | 0.3 | 1.2 |
| | ÖDP | | | | | | 340 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| | DKP | Gerhard Horst Dorka | Gerhard Horst Dorka | 691 | 0.5 | | 337 | 0.2 | |
| | FW | | | | | | 294 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| | Volksabstimmung | | | | | | 160 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| | Gesundheitsforschung | | | | | | 143 | 0.1 | |
| | DM | | | | | | 129 | 0.1 | |
| | MLPD | Mazhar Hasan Alias | Mazhar Hasan Alias | 256 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 119 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| | V-Partei³ | | | | | | 115 | 0.1 | |
| | DiB | | | | | | 110 | 0.1 | |
| | BGE | | | | | | 107 | 0.1 | |
| | Die Humanisten | | | | | | 57 | 0.0 | |
| | SGP | | | | | | 12 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,983 | | | 1,328 | | |
| Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | 149,859 | | | 150,514 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 151,842 | 74.9 | 3.0 | | | |
| | SPD hold | SPD hold | Majority | 4,794 | 3.2 | 6.1 | | | |

### 2013 election

Federal election (2013): Bottrop – Recklinghausen III :

| Notes: | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
| | SPD | Y Michael Gerdes | Y Michael Gerdes | 66,913 | 45.8 | 3.0 | 58,800 | 40.1 | 3.0 |
| | CDU | Sven Volmering | Sven Volmering | 53,354 | 36.5 | 3.6 | 51,021 | 34.8 | 6.1 |
| | Left | Friedrich-Wilhelm Zachraj | Friedrich-Wilhelm Zachraj | 7,827 | 5.4 | 4.0 | 9,153 | 6.2 | 4.4 |
| | AfD | Franz-Josef Ferme | Franz-Josef Ferme | 5,530 | 3.8 | | 6,034 | 4.1 | |
| | Greens | Elke Marita Stuckel-Lotz | Elke Marita Stuckel-Lotz | 5,277 | 3.6 | 2.1 | 7,998 | 5.5 | 1.5 |
| | Pirates | Hans Peter Winkelmann | Hans Peter Winkelmann | 3,613 | 2.5 | | 3,029 | 2.1 | 0.5 |
| | FDP | Sebastian Steinzen | Sebastian Steinzen | 2,372 | 1.6 | 5.0 | 5,095 | 3.5 | 7.5 |
| | NPD | | | | | | 2,208 | 1.5 | 0.3 |
| | PRO | | | | | | 547 | 0.4 | |
| | PARTEI | | | | | | 495 | 0.3 | |
| | ÖDP | Marianne Dominas | Marianne Dominas | 986 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 465 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| | REP | | | | | | 327 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| | Volksabstimmung | | | | | | 280 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| | BIG | | | | | | 243 | 0.2 | |
| | FW | | | | | | 177 | 0.1 | |
| | MLPD | Petra Braun | Petra Braun | 299 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 142 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| | Nichtwahler | | | | | | 142 | 0.1 | |
| | Party of Reason | | | | | | 110 | 0.1 | |
| | RRP | | | | | | 79 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| | Die Rechte | | | | | | 54 | 0.0 | |
| | PSG | | | | | | 53 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| | BüSo | | | | | | 36 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 2,010 | | | 1,693 | | |
| Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | 146,171 | | | 146,488 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 148,181 | 71.9 | 0.7 | | | |
| | SPD hold | SPD hold | Majority | 13,559 | 9.3 | 0.6 | | | |

### 2009 election

Federal election (2009): Bottrop – Recklinghausen III :

| Notes: | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
| | SPD | Michael Gerdes | Michael Gerdes | 62,810 | 42.8 | 13.2 | 54,532 | 37.1 | 13.3 |
| | CDU | Sven Volmering | Sven Volmering | 48,290 | 32.9 | 1.5 | 42,153 | 28.7 | 0.6 |
| | Left | Günter Blocks | Günter Blocks | 13,765 | 9.4 | 4.3 | 15,624 | 10.6 | 4.3 |
| | FDP | Marc Liebehenz | Marc Liebehenz | 9,710 | 6.6 | 4.1 | 16,171 | 11.0 | 4.5 |
| | Greens | Hans-Jürgen Reitmeyer | Hans-Jürgen Reitmeyer | 8,372 | 5.7 | 3.1 | 10,267 | 7.0 | 1.4 |
| | Pirates | | | | | | 2,261 | 1.5 | |
| | NPD | Dirk Tittmann | Dirk Tittmann | 2,391 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 1,738 | 1.2 | 0.4 |
| | Tierschutzpartei | | | | | | 1,052 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| | FAMILIE | | | | | | 804 | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| | REP | | | | | | 643 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| | RENTNER | | | | | | 578 | 0.4 | |
| | ÖDP | Stefan Krix | Stefan Krix | 1,138 | 0.8 | | 447 | 0.3 | |
| | RRP | | | | | | 182 | 0.1 | |
| | MLPD | Petra Braun | Petra Braun | 243 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 128 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| | DVU | | | | | | 114 | 0.1 | |
| | Volksabstimmung | | | | | | 102 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| | Centre | | | | | | 74 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| | BüSo | | | | | | 34 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| | PSG | | | | | | 23 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,804 | | | 1,596 | | |
| Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | 146,719 | | | 146,927 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 148,523 | 71.2 | 8.0 | | | |
| | SPD hold | SPD hold | Majority | 14,520 | 9.9 | 14.7 | | | |
