# 2016 Rhineland-Palatinate state election

The 2016 Rhineland-Palatinate state election was held on 13 March 2016 to elect the members of the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate. It was held on the same day as the Baden-Württemberg state election and Saxony-Anhalt state election. The incumbent coalition government of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and The Greens led by Minister-President Malu Dreyer was defeated. The SPD remained the largest party, and formed a "traffic light coalition" with the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and The Greens. Dreyer was subsequently re-elected as Minister-President.

## Parties

The table below lists parties represented in the previous Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate.
| Name | Name | Name | Ideology | Leader(s) | 2011 result | 2011 result |
| Name | Name | Name | Ideology | Leader(s) | Votes (%) | Seats |
| | SPD | Social Democratic Party of Germany Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands | Social democracy | Malu Dreyer | 35.7% | 42 / 101 |
| | CDU | Christian Democratic Union of Germany Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands | Christian democracy | Julia Klöckner | 35.2% | 41 / 101 |
| | Grüne | Alliance 90/The Greens Bündnis 90/Die Grünen | Green politics | Eveline Lemke | 15.4% | 18 / 101 |

## Opinion polling

| Polling firm | Fieldwork date | Sample size | SPD | CDU | Grüne | FDP | Linke | Piraten | AfD | Others | Lead |
| 2016 state election | 13 Mar 2016 | – | 36.2 | 31.8 | 5.3 | 6.2 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 12.6 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
| Forschungsgruppe Wahlen | 7–10 Mar 2016 | 1,693 | 36 | 35 | 5.5 | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | 4.5 | 1 |
| YouGov | 2–9 Mar 2016 | 1,003 | 35 | 36 | 6 | 6 | 4 | – | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| Forsa | 2–8 Mar 2016 | 1,002 | 35 | 35 | 6 | 6 | 4 | – | 9 | 5 | Tie |
| INSA | 1–5 Mar 2016 | 1,000 | 35 | 35 | 7 | 5 | 3 | – | 9 | 6 | Tie |
| Forschungsgruppe Wahlen | 29 Feb–3 Mar 2016 | 1,011 | 34 | 35 | 6 | 6 | 4 | – | 10 | 5 | 1 |
| Infratest dimap | 1–2 Mar 2016 | 1,004 | 34 | 36 | 7 | 5 | 4 | – | 9 | 5 | 2 |
| Infratest dimap | 24–27 Feb 2016 | 1,000 | 32 | 36 | 8 | 6 | 4 | – | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| INSA | 25–27 Feb 2016 | 1,001 | 32.5 | 35 | 10 | 6 | 4 | – | 8.5 | 4 | 2.5 |
| INSA | 19–20 Feb 2016 | 1,032 | 33 | 35 | 9 | 7 | 4 | – | 8.5 | 3.5 | 2 |
| GESS Phone & Field | 12–20 Feb 2016 | 1,002 | 33 | 37 | 8 | 5 | 3 | – | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| Infratest dimap | 4–9 Feb 2016 | 1,000 | 31 | 37 | 8 | 6 | 4 | – | 9 | 5 | 6 |
| INSA | 26 Jan–1 Feb 2016 | 1,000 | 32 | 36 | 10 | 6 | 3 | – | 8 | 5 | 4 |
| Forschungsgruppe Wahlen | 19–21 Jan 2016 | 1,034 | 31 | 38 | 7 | 5 | 5 | – | 9 | 5 | 7 |
| Infratest dimap | 6–11 Jan 2016 | 1,001 | 31 | 37 | 9 | 5 | 5 | – | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| Infratest dimap | 3–7 Dec 2015 | 1,000 | 31 | 39 | 9 | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | 4 | 8 |
| INSA | 17–24 Nov 2015 | 1,003 | 31.0 | 38.5 | 11.0 | 4.5 | 3.5 | – | 7.0 | 4.5 | 7.5 |
| GESS Phone & Field | 6–16 Nov 2015 | 1,002 | 33 | 40 | 9 | 5 | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Forschungsgruppe Wahlen | 2–4 Nov 2015 | 1,093 | 30 | 41 | 8 | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | 6 | 11 |
| Infratest dimap | 17–21 Sep 2015 | 1,005 | 31 | 41 | 10 | 5 | 5 | – | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| Infratest dimap | 17–21 Jul 2015 | 1,001 | 33 | 42 | 10 | 4 | 3 | – | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| GESS Phone & Field | 12–22 Jun 2015 | 1,003 | 33 | 40 | 11 | 4 | 3 | – | 4 | 5 | 7 |
| Infratest dimap | 11–15 Feb 2015 | 1,000 | 32 | 42 | 11 | 3 | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | 10 |
| GESS Phone & Field | 5–15 Dec 2014 | 1,002 | 30 | 43 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 13 |
| Infratest dimap | 7–10 Nov 2014 | 1,000 | 31 | 43 | 11 | 2 | 4 | – | 5 | 4 | 12 |
| Infratest dimap | 19–22 Sep 2014 | 1,000 | 31 | 43 | 10 | 2 | 4 | – | 6 | 4 | 12 |
| GESS Phone & Field | 13–21 Jun 2014 | 1,002 | 32 | 41 | 10 | 3 | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | 9 |
| Infratest dimap | 2–5 May 2014 | 1,001 | 31 | 41 | 11 | 3 | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| Infratest dimap | 28–31 Mar 2014 | 1,000 | 33 | 41 | 11 | 3 | 4 | – | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Infratest dimap | 9–10 Dec 2013 | 1,000 | 35 | 40 | 9 | 4 | 4 | – | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| GESS Phone & Field | 29 Nov–6 Dec 2013 | 1,005 | 32 | 43 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 |
| Infratest dimap | 29 Aug–2 Sep 2013 | 1,000 | 34 | 43 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| GESS Phone & Field | 3–13 May 2013 | 1,003 | 35 | 39 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Infratest dimap | 18–21 Apr 2013 | 1,000 | 34 | 43 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| Infratest dimap | 11–14 Jan 2013 | 1,000 | 33 | 43 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 3 | – | 3 | 10 |
| GESS Phone & Field | 7–12 Jan 2013 | 2,007 | 35 | 40 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 4 | – | 5 | 5 |
| GESS Phone & Field | 8–13 Oct 2012 | 1,004 | 36 | 36 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 3 | – | ? | Tie |
| Infratest dimap | 8–9 Oct 2012 | 1,000 | 36 | 40 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 3 | – | 4 | 4 |
| Infratest dimap | 24–27 Aug 2012 | 1,000 | 32 | 39 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 5 | – | 4 | 7 |
| Infratest dimap | 23–24 Jul 2012 | 1,003 | 31 | 37 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 5 | – | 5 | 6 |
| GESS Phone & Field | 16–22 Jun 2012 | 1,005 | 37 | 35 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 5 | – | 3 | 2 |
| Infratest dimap | 4–7 May 2012 | 1,000 | 36 | 36 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 6 | – | 2 | Tie |
| Infratest dimap | 23–27 Mar 2012 | 1,000 | 36 | 37 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 5 | – | 2 | 1 |
| GESS Phone & Field | 12–17 Mar 2012 | 1,003 | 36 | 36 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 4 | – | ? | Tie |
| GESS Phone & Field | 1–9 Dec 2011 | 1,003 | 37 | 35 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 4 | – | ? | 2 |
| Infratest dimap | 2–5 Dec 2011 | 1,000 | 37 | 37 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 4 | – | 2 | Tie |
| GESS Phone & Field | 16–22 Sep 2011 | 1,004 | 38 | 34 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 3 | – | ? | 4 |
| Infratest dimap | 19–20 Sep 2011 | 1,000 | 39 | 34 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 3 | – | 3 | 5 |
| Psephos | 14–17 Jun 2011 | 1,004 | 34 | 38 | 15 | 3 | 3 | – | – | 7 | 4 |
| 2011 state election | 27 Mar 2011 | – | 35.7 | 35.2 | 15.4 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 1.6 | – | 4.8 | 0.5 |

## Results

< 2011 2021 >
Results for the 13 March 2016 election to the 17th Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate :
| Party | Party | Popular vote | Popular vote | Popular vote | Seats | Seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | +/– | Seats | +/– |
| | Social Democratic Party Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands – SPD | 771,848 | 36.2 | 0.5 | 39 | 3 |
| | Christian Democratic Union Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands – CDU | 677,507 | 31.8 | 3.4 | 35 | 6 |
| | Alternative for Germany Alternative für Deutschland – AfD | 268,628 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 14 | 14 |
| | Free Democratic Party Freie Demokratische Partei – FDP | 132,294 | 6.2 | 2.0 | 7 | 7 |
| | Alliance '90/The Greens Bündnis 90/Die Grünen | 113,261 | 5.3 | 10.1 | 6 | 12 |
| | The Left Die Linke | 59,970 | 2.8 | 0.2 | – | – |
| | Free Voters Rhineland-Palatinate Freie Wähler | 47,924 | 2.2 | 0.1 | – | – |
| | Pirate Party Piratenpartei | 16,708 | 0.8 | 0.8 | – | – |
| | Alliance for Progress and Renewal Allianz für Fortschritt und Aufbruch – ALFA | 13,154 | 0.6 | 0.6 | – | – |
| | National Democratic Party Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands – NPD | 10,565 | 0.5 | 0.6 | – | – |
| | Ecological Democratic Party Ökologisch-Demokratische Partei – ÖDP | 8,623 | 0.4 | | – | – |
| | The Republicans Die Republikaner – REP | 5,090 | 0.2 | | – | – |
| | The Unity [de] Die Einheit | 3,105 | 0.1 | 0.1 | – | – |
| | The Third Way Der III. Weg | 1,944 | 0.1 | 0.1 | – | – |
| | Other parties | – | – | – | – | – |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 2,130,621 | 98.6 | 0.7 | | |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 30,885 | 1.4 | 0.7 | | |
| Totals and voter turnout | Totals and voter turnout | 2,161,506 | 70.4 | 8.6 | 101 | – |
| Electorate | Electorate | 3,071,972 | 100.0 | — | | |
| Source: Landeswahlleiter |||||||