1998 Lower Saxony state election

The 1998 Lower Saxony state election was held on 1 March 1998 to elect the members of the 14th Landtag of Lower Saxony. The incumbent Social Democratic Party (SPD) government led by Minister-President Gerhard Schröder was returned with an increased majority. Schröder was subsequently re-elected as minister-president.

1998 Lower Saxony state election

← 1994 1 March 1998 2003 →

All 157 seats in the Landtag of Lower Saxony
79 seats needed for a majority
Turnout4,314,932 (73.8%)
Increase 0.0%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Gerhard Schröder Christian Wulff
Party SPD CDU Greens
Last election 81 seats, 44.3% 67 seats, 36.4% 13 seats, 7.4%
Seats won 83 62 12
Seat change Increase 2 Decrease 5 Decrease 1
Popular vote 2,068,477 1,549,227 304,193
Percentage 47.9% 35.9% 7.0%
Swing Increase 3.6% Decrease 0.5% Decrease 0.4%

Results for the single-member constituencies

Minister-President before election

Gerhard Schröder
SPD

Elected Minister-President

Gerhard Schröder
SPD

Schröder took the election as a test run for a potential federal election in September. He said that if the SPD received less than 42 percent of the vote, he would rule out a bid to become the party's chancellor candidate. Achieving 47.9 percent of the vote, he later announced his (successful) candidacy and went on to form the first federal SPD-led government since 1982.[1]

Parties

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The table below lists parties represented in the 13th Landtag of Lower Saxony.

Name Ideology Leader(s) 1994 result
Votes (%) Seats
SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany
Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands
Social democracy Gerhard Schröder 44.3%
81 / 161
CDU Christian Democratic Union of Germany
Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands
Christian democracy Christian Wulff 36.4%
67 / 161
Grüne Alliance 90/The Greens
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
Green politics 7.4%
13 / 161

Election result

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Summary of the 1 March 1998 election results for the Landtag of Lower Saxony
Party Votes % +/- Seats +/- Seats %
Social Democratic Party (SPD) 2,068,477 47.9  3.6 83  2 52.9
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) 1,549,227 35.9  0.5 62  5 39.5
Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) 304,193 7.0  0.4 12  1 7.6
Free Democratic Party (FDP) 209,610 4.9  0.5 0 ±0 0
The Republicans (REP) 118,975 2.8  0.9 0 ±0 0
Others 64,450 1.5 0 ±0 0
Total 4,314,932 100.0 157  4
Voter turnout 73.8  0.0
Popular Vote
SPD
47.94%
CDU
35.90%
B'90/GRÜNE
7.05%
FDP
4.86%
REP
2.76%
Other
1.49%
Landtag seats
SPD
52.87%
CDU
39.49%
B'90/GRÜNE
7.64%

References

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  1. ^ Pulzer, Peter. "The German Federal Election of 1998." West European Politics July 1999: 241–249.

Sources

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