Creating a digital forum for voters in Germany

Lukas Holter and Christoph Schleifer | Issue 6 | Magazine, Uncategorised

From the Archive

DUSSELDORF, GERMANY - MAY 15: Hendrik Wuest, incumbent and lead candidate of the German Christian Democrats (CDU), speaks to supporters following initial exit poll results in state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia on May 15, 2022 in Dusseldorf, Germany. The CDU and rival German Social Democrats (SPD) went into the election neck and neck in polls. North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany’s most populous state and analysts see the election as an important indicator reflecting the popularity of the current SPD-led federal government coalition under SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz. (Photo by Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images)

How CamBuildr works to give campaigners new tools for engaging with voters

At the end of October 2021, the CDU North Rhine-Westphalia was facing an uncertain electoral future as it elected a new party leader. Hendrik Wüst had just assumed the position of Minister President for the German state (a position recently vacated by Armin Laschet) and in February would be officially elected as the lead candidate for the party’s impending campaign. While Laschet was off to Berlin with a one-way ticket after a disastrous performance as the CDU’s candidate for Chancellor in the federal elections, projections showed the state chapter trailing behind the rival SPD by 9%, only a slight increase from early October when the SPD led by 13%. With a new federal government spearheaded by an SPD Chancellor and excluding the CDU entirely, the challenge for Wüst was immense. Wüst knew that to be successful, he needed to make significant changes to how the CDU NRW campaigned - and had to do it fast. To lead the charge, Wüst picked Thomas Breuer as campaign manager. Breuer embraced W...

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