[3] In the early state elections in 2011, former First Mayor Christoph Ahlhaus (CDU) had to admit defeat to his challenger Olaf Scholz (SPD).

Compared to the 2008 elections, the CDU Hamburg had lost almost half their voters and received their worst result of all time, while the Social Democrats achieved the absolute majority of the parliamentary mandates.

Just like in the 2011 federal elections, the Alstertal-Walddörfer, Süderelbe and Bergedorf constituencies remained the strongholds of the CDU Hamburg.

Beyrich, who belonged to the Roman Catholic minority in Hamburg, had been a government employee until the National Socialists came to power.

[10] The board of the CDU parliamentary group consists of nine members:[11] Birgit Stöver, Eckard H. Graage, Andreas Grutzeck, Sandro Kappe, Ralf Niedmers, Stephan A. Gamm, Anna-Elisabeth von Treuenfels-Frowein