Dennis Thering (born 5 April 1984 in Hamburg) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He has been chairman of the CDU parliamentary group in the Hamburg Parliament since March 2020 and thus leader of the opposition. Since April 2023, he has also been state chairman of the CDU Hamburg. He has been a member of the Hamburg Parliament since 2011.
Early Life and Education
Dennis Thering was born in Hamburg and grew up in the Hummelsbüttel quarter in the Wandsbek district. His father was a self-employed master craftsman. As a youth, he played football, initially for Hummelsbütteler SV and from the B-junior level for Hamburger SV as a goalkeeper; a knee injury ended his football career.
He completed his Abitur in 2003 at the Wirtschaftsgymnasium City Nord, a secondary school in Hamburg with an economics focus. After graduating, he performed community service (Zivildienst) at the Hospital zum Heiligen Geist in Poppenbüttel. He then completed an apprenticeship as a bank clerk at Hamburger Sparkasse (2004–2006), where he subsequently worked until 2010. From 2010 to 2013, he studied political science at the University of Hamburg, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. His thesis was on the 2013 federal election and the influence of campaigning on voter decisions. From January 2014 to March 2020, he worked as a commercial employee at Pflegen & Wohnen Hamburg GmbH.
Thering is married, has a daughter, and lives in the Alstertal area.
Political Career
Party
Thering joined the CDU in 2001. In 2004, he was recognized by then-CDU federal chairwoman Angela Merkel for his work in making the CDU local branch Alstertal the most successful in Germany, recruiting over 300 new members and nearly doubling the branch's membership to over 700. He became chairman of the Junge Union Alstertal in 2007.
Since 2010, he has been chairman of the CDU Alstertal local branch. He has been a member of the CDU Hamburg state board since 2011. In May 2018, he became district chairman of the CDU Wandsbek, Hamburg's most populous district. In April 2023, Thering was elected state chairman of the CDU Hamburg with 185 out of 197 valid votes (8 against, 4 abstentions), succeeding Christoph Ploß. He is also a member of the federal executive board of the CDU of Germany.
Local Politics
Between 2004 and 2008, Thering was a member of the Alstertal local committee, serving as deputy group leader from 2005. From 2008 to 2011, he was a directly elected member of the Wandsbek district assembly for the Alstertal–Walddörfer constituency, serving as spokesperson for the Alstertal regional area and for sports within the CDU parliamentary group.
State Parliament
Thering entered the Hamburg Parliament in 2011, succeeding Hartmut Engels as the direct candidate in constituency 13 (Alstertal/Walddörfer). He was re-elected via a direct mandate in the 2015 and 2020 state elections.
He served as deputy chairman of the CDU parliamentary group until March 18, 2020, when he was unanimously elected as chairman of the CDU parliamentary group following the party's poor election result of 11.2% (15 seats). In this role, he became the leader of the opposition.
Since 2020, he has been a member of the Committee for Cooperation between the States of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein and the Family, Children, and Youth Committee.
Mayoral Candidacy and 2025 Election
On February 24, 2023, Thering announced his candidacy to challenge Hamburg's First Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) in the 2025 Hamburg state election. On August 20, 2024, he was unanimously nominated as the CDU's top candidate by the state executive committee. On September 7, 2024, the CDU state representatives' meeting confirmed him as the lead candidate on the state list with just under 92% of the vote.
In the 2025 Hamburg state election, the CDU under Thering achieved 19.8% of the vote, a significant increase from the previous election. Despite these gains, Mayor Peter Tschentscher opted to continue the red-green coalition with the Greens.
Political Positions
Thering focuses on transport policy, internal security, and economic policy. He opposes what he describes as the exclusion of any road users, supports the Port of Hamburg, and advocates for increased public safety. Improving healthcare is also a stated priority. He has criticized the red-green state government on issues of security and economic management, including the planned involvement of the shipping company MSC in HHLA (Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG), which he described as hasty and non-transparent.
On security, Thering has called for a weapons-free zone at Hamburg Central Station and increased police presence, as well as investigative proceedings against parents of juvenile repeat offenders. He has publicly stated that "the AfD is an openly racist party, partly also anti-Semitic" and has clearly distanced himself from the far-right.
In February 2023, Thering and the CDU Hamburg supported an initiative titled "Put an end to gender language in administration and education."
Memberships
Thering is a member of numerous local clubs and associations, including various citizens' associations (Heimatverein Hamburg-Hummelsbüttel, Bürgerverein Sasel-Poppenbüttel, Bürgerverein Duvenstedt/Wohldorf-Ohlstedt), the Duvenstedter Sportverein, the Hummelsbüttel Volunteer Fire Brigade Support Association, and the Friends of the Hospital zum Heiligen Geist. He also sits on the board of trustees of the Curator Foundation for the Hospital zum Heiligen Geist.
Awards
In 2023, the business magazine Capital named Dennis Thering among Germany's "Top 40 under 40" most important talents in business, politics, science, and society.
