One map argument remains in Wisconsin
No Court action yet on congressional districts
One redistricting fight — over the state’s Assembly and Senate districts — is over. But now a separate case involving the state’s congressional lines is getting a renewed push.
The new district maps signed into law by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will affect how Wisconsinites are represented in the statehouse in Madison. The remaining case asks whether the districts that elect Wisconsin’s eight U.S. House members in Washington should change as well.
Here’s a breakdown of where the other case is at, why the state Supreme Court is being asked to review congressional maps, and the current makeup of Wisconsin’s delegation in the House.
So far, the court has essentially taken no action on the case — it hasn’t heard oral arguments, for example, as it did for the legislative maps.
The court hasn’t publicly indicated it will review a motion that asked it to revisit the congressional districts. That motion was filed in January by Elias Law Group, a national Democratic law firm.
But the case got a renewed push this week when Evers asked the court to take up that motion.
If the court does take up the motion, there would be a very tight turnaround to put the new districts in place before the fall elections, when all U.S. House members are up for reelection.
And, the Wisconsin Elections Commission has said that any new maps must be in place by March 15.
Evers’ latest request is grounded in a theory known as the “least-change” approach.
The congressional map Evers is asking the court to reconsider is one he drew and the court approved two years ago. But at the time, the court said it was looking for minimal changes to election maps.
Democrats now argue that “leastchange” is no longer required. That’s because the court, in the legislative case that is wrapping up, said it would no longer favor maps that minimize changes.
And the new legislative maps do make significant changes — such as creating a district in the Fox Valley that leans Democratic.
Wisconsin has two Democratic U.S. House members — Rep. Gwen Moore, who represents the 4th District in Milwaukee, and Rep. Mark Pocan, who represents the 2nd District that includes Madison and surrounding counties.
Two of the congressional districts are considered competitive under the current maps, and are held by Republicans. Those are the western 3rd District, represented by Rep. Derrick Van Orden, and the southeastern 1st District, held by Rep. Bryan Steil.
The four other Republican members include Rep. Tom Tiffany in the northern 7th District, Rep. Glenn Grothman in the central 6th District, Rep. Scott Fitzgerald in the 5th District
west of Milwaukee, and Rep. Mike Gallagher in the northeastern 8th District.
Gallagher isn’t running for reelection, but Republicans are still likely to hold onto his seat. The district was once more of a battleground, but rural parts of the district have shifted right in the last decade.
Any changes to congressional maps wouldn’t affect Wisconsin’s U.S. senators, who are elected on a statewide basis. Those are Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is up for reelection, and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson.
Lawrence Andrea of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.