# 2026 Rhineland-Palatinate state election

The 2026 Rhineland-Palatinate state election will be held on 22 March 2026 to elect the 19th Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate.

## Background

In the 2021 state elections, the SPD, led by Prime Minister Malu Dreyer, was the strongest with 35.7 percent. The CDU achieved its poor result in Rhineland-Palatinate with 27.7 percent. The Greens were again the third strongest force with gains of 9.3 percent.
The AfD became the fourth strongest force in the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament with losses of 8.3 percent. The FDP reached 5.5 percent. The Free Voters made it into the state parliament for the first time with 5.4 percent.
Even before the election, all three parties in the traffic light coalition had campaigned for it to continue. The balance of power within the alliance changed, since the Greens were now the second strongest party instead of the FDP.
The SPD invited the Greens and FDP to exploratory talks the day after the election. Almost eight weeks after the election, the SPD, Greens and FDP agreed to continue their previous coalition.
In the constituent session of the state parliament on May 18, 2021, Malu Dreyer was re-elected Prime Minister and the Third Dreyer cabinet was sworn in.

## Opinion polls
### Party polling

| Polling firm | Fieldwork date | Sample size | SPD | CDU | Grüne | AfD | FDP | FW | Linke | BSW | Others | Lead |
| Federal Parliament election | 23 Feb 2025 | – | 18.6 | 30.6 | 10.4 | 20.1 | 4.6 | 2.1 | 6.5 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 10.5 |
| Infratest dimap | 5–10 Dec 2024 | 1,175 | 24 | 32 | 11 | 14 | 4 | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | 8 |
| Infratest dimap | 4–9 Jul 2024 | 1,165 | 21 | 31 | 10 | 12 | 5 | 7 | – | 5 | 9 | 10 |
| European Parliament election | 9 Jun 2024 | – | 17.5 | 30.7 | 9.3 | 14.7 | 5.9 | 5.2 | 1.7 | 4.7 | 15.5 | 13.2 |
| Infratest dimap | 15–20 Feb 2024 | 1,157 | 22 | 31 | 10 | 15 | 4 | 7 | – | 4 | 7 | 9 |
| Wahlkreisprognose | 2–11 Dec 2023 | 1,237 | 26 | 27 | 8.5 | 20 | 3.5 | 7.5 | 1.5 | – | 6 | 1 |
| Infratest dimap | 25–30 Oct 2023 | 1,048 | 22 | 31 | 12 | 17 | 5 | 5 | – | – | 8 | 9 |
| Infratest dimap | 13–18 Jul 2023 | 1,156 | 25 | 31 | 11 | 16 | 5 | 6 | – | – | 6 | 6 |
| INSA | 8–15 May 2023 | 1,000 | 28 | 27 | 11 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 2 | – | 7 | 1 |
| Infratest dimap | 27–28 Mar 2023 | 1,180 | 28 | 29 | 14 | 12 | 5 | 4 | – | – | 7 | 1 |
| Wahlkreisprognose | 14–21 Mar 2023 | 1,000 | 29 | 25 | 11 | 16 | 5 | 6.5 | 2 | – | 5.5 | 4 |
| Infratest dimap | 9–13 Dec 2022 | 1,166 | 28 | 29 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 4 | – | – | 7 | 1 |
| INSA | 7–14 Nov 2022 | 1,000 | 28 | 28 | 13 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 2 | – | 6 | Tie |
| Wahlkreisprognose | 14–17 Oct 2022 | 1,023 | 26 | 25.5 | 10 | 15 | 7 | 6.5 | 2 | – | 8 | 0.5 |
| Infratest dimap | 26–27 Sep 2022 | 1,183 | 27 | 27 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 4 | – | – | 8 | Tie |
| Wahlkreisprognose | 2–10 Jul 2022 | 1,209 | 34.5 | 26.5 | 14 | 6.5 | 5 | 6.5 | 2 | – | 5 | 8 |
| Wahlkreisprognose | 11–18 May 2022 | 1,042 | 37 | 23.5 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 2 | – | 5.5 | 13.5 |
| Wahlkreisprognose | 21–28 Mar 2022 | 1,002 | 39 | 24 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 2 | – | 7 | 15 |
| Infratest dimap | 4–8 Mar 2022 | 1,158 | 34 | 26 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 5 | – | – | 8 | 8 |
| Infratest dimap | 19–23 Nov 2021 | 1,172 | 34 | 21 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 6 | – | – | 8 | 13 |
| Wahlkreisprognose | 1–9 Nov 2021 | 1,100 | 41 | 20 | 9.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 8 | 1.5 | – | 4.5 | 21 |
| 2021 federal election | 26 Sep 2021 | – | 29.4 | 24.7 | 12.6 | 9.2 | 11.7 | 3.6 | 3.3 | – | 5.6 | 4.7 |
| Infratest dimap | 2–7 Sep 2021 | 1,160 | 40 | 23 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | – | 6 | 17 |
| Infratest dimap | 9–13 Jul 2021 | 1,153 | 38 | 24 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 3 | – | 6 | 3 |
| 2021 state election | 14 Mar 2021 | – | 35.7 | 27.7 | 9.3 | 8.3 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 2.5 | – | 5.7 | 8.0 |