Wesel I 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 112. It is located in the Ruhr region of North Rhine-Westphalia, comprising most of the district of Wesel.
Wesel I was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. From 2021 to 2025, it was represented by Rainer Keller of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Since 2025 it has been represented by Sascha van Beek.
Geography Wesel I is located in the Ruhr region of North Rhine-Westphalia. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the entirety of the Wesel district excluding the municipalities of Dinslaken, Moers, and Neukirchen-Vluyn.
History Wesel I was created in 1949, then known as Rees – Dinslaken. From 1965 through 1976, it was named Dinslaken. It acquired its current name in the 1980 election. In the 1949 election, it was North Rhine-Westphalia constituency 27 in the numbering system. From 1953 through 1961, it was number 86. From 1965 through 1976, it was number 84. From 1980 through 1998, it was number 82. From 2002 through 2009, it was number 114. In the 2013 through 2021 elections, it was number 113. From the 2025 election, it has been number 112.
Originally, the constituency comprised the districts of Rees and Dinslaken. In the 1980 through 1998 elections, it comprised the municipalities of Dinslaken, Hamminkeln, Hünxe, Schermbeck, Voerde, Wesel, and Xanten from the district of Wesel. It acquired its current borders in the 2002 election.
Election Name Borders 1949 Rees – Dinslaken Rees district Dinslaken district 1953 86 1957 1961 1965 84 Dinslaken 1969 1972 1976 1980 82 Wesel I Wesel district (only Dinslaken, Hamminkeln, Hünxe, Schermbeck, Voerde, Wesel, and Xanten municipalities) 1983 1987 1990 1994 1998 2002 114 Wesel district (excluding Dinslaken, Moers, and Neukirchen-Vluyn municipalities) 2005 2009 2013 113 2017 2021 2025 112
Members The constituency was first represented by Franz Etzel of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1949 to 1953. He was succeeded by Heinrich Lübke until 1961, Arnold Verhoeven until 1965, and Konrad Kraske until 1969. Udo Hein of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) was elected in 1969 and served a single term; Uwe Jens of the SPD retained the constituency in 1972 and served until 2002. Fellow SPD member Hans-Ulrich Krüger served from then until 2009, when Sabine Weiss of the CDU was elected representative. Rainer Keller was elected for the SPD in 2021. Sascha van Beek was elected for the CDU in 2025.
Election Member Party % 1949 Franz Etzel CDU 35.5 1953 Heinrich Lübke CDU 51.3 1957 50.2 1961 Arnold Verhoeven CDU 44.3 1965 Konrad Kraske CDU 46.8 1969 Udo Hein SPD 50.7 1972 Uwe Jens SPD 59.6 1976 55.8 1980 53.5 1983 49.8 1987 51.0 1990 48.5 1994 52.5 1998 57.8 2002 Hans-Ulrich Krüger SPD 50.0 2005 49.0 2009 Sabine Weiss CDU 38.5 2013 43.5 2017 39.0 2021 Rainer Keller SPD 34.2 2025 Sascha van Beek CDU 34.8
Election results 2025 election
2021 election
2017 election
2013 election
2009 election
2005 election
References