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Cem Özdemir: The new challenger for Kretschmann's legacy!
Baden-Württemberg will vote in 2026: Who will succeed Kretschmann? Candidates, voting rights and the first votes of 16-year-olds in focus.
Cem Özdemir: The new challenger for Kretschmann's legacy!
The state elections in Baden-Württemberg will take place on March 8, 2026. This event is under the shadow of the announced return of the incumbent Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens), who will no longer be in office after 15 years. The elections come at a time when the reformed state electoral law adds a new dimension. In the future, voters will have two votes: one for the direct candidate and one for the state list. Another novelty is the opportunity for 16-year-olds to take part in the election for the first time, which could strengthen the political influence of the younger generation.
The search for Kretschmann's successor is already in full swing. Cem Özdemir, who is positioning himself as the top candidate for the Greens, has made his ambitions clear. The Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture was elected on May 24, 2025 with 97 percent of the votes at the state party conference. In a detailed letter to the citizens of Baden-Württemberg, Özdemir stated that he would like to serve as prime minister and strengthen the Greens in the face of a possible loss of power. Kretschmann's support for his candidacy is also highlighted. Despite this backing, Özdemir faces challenges, especially due to the current poll situation, in which the Greens are at 18 percent and the CDU at 34 percent, as swr.de reports.
The top candidates at a glance
Several politicians claim the post of Prime Minister for themselves. Here is an overview of the most important candidates:
| party | name | Old | position | Choice type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDU | Manuel Hagel | 37 | Chairman of the CDU state parliamentary group | 93.8% at the party conference |
| Greens | Cem Ozdemir | 59 | Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture | 97% at the party conference |
| SPD | Andreas Stoch | unknown | Minister of Education (2013-2016) | Election on July 5th |
| FDP | Hans-Ulrich Rülke | 64 | Chairman of the FDP/DVP state parliamentary group | Unanimous election |
| AfD | Markus Frohnmaier | 34 | Member of the Bundestag | Election on May 31st |
Manuel Hagel from the CDU has already positioned himself as a candidate. He was elected on May 17th with 93.8 percent at the CDU state party conference. Hagel has been a member of the state parliament since 2016 and served as Secretary General from 2016 to 2021. He lives in Stuttgart, is married and has three sons.
Andreas Stoch from the SPD will not be elected as the top candidate until July 5th at the state party conference, but he already has a long political career behind him, which brought him to the state parliament since 2009 and saw him as Minister of Education from 2013 to 2016.
Hans-Ulrich Rülke from the FDP has been a member of the state parliament since 2006 and was unanimously elected as the top candidate in July 2024. He is also the chairman of the FDP/DVP state parliamentary group and lives in Pforzheim with his wife and three children.
Finally, Markus Frohnmaier is running for the AfD, which will formally announce its top candidate on May 31st. Frohnmaier, who was born in Timișoara, Romania, is co-chair of the AfD Baden-Württemberg and has been a member of the Bundestag since 2017.
The election campaign begins with a clear focus on the successor to Winfried Kretschmann. Particular attention will be paid to the development of voter favorability, which will be exciting given the different political issues and challenges in the region. The political landscape in Baden-Württemberg is turbulent, and the result in March could shape the direction of state politics for many years.