2018 Christian Democratic Union of Germany leadership election

The 2018 Christian Democratic Union leadership election took place during the party's 31st Congress in Hamburg at the Messehallen convention center on 7–8 December following Angela Merkel's decision in October 2018 not to stand for party leader at the 2018 party conference following the party's bad performance in the 2018 Hessian state election and the party's consistently low numbers in national polls.

2018 Christian Democratic Union leadership election
7–8 December 2018
999 delegates in the 31st CDU National Congress
500 delegates votes needed to win
 
Candidate Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer Friedrich Merz Jens Spahn
First round 450, 45.05 % 392, 39.24 % 157, 15.72 %
Runoff 517, 51.75 % 482, 48.25 % eliminated
Leader before election

Angela Merkel

 Elected Leader

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer

In the subsequent party executive meeting on 29 October 2018, both the CDU's General Secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and the Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn announced their candidacy in the election. This was followed by Merkel's former arch-rival Friedrich Merz, who announced his bid and his return to politics on 30 October 2018. Spahn was eliminated after the first round, and Kramp-Karrenbauer subsequently won close-run second round of voting by 18 votes.

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