Each day, Wisconsin Dems wake up, stretch, find coffee… and realize once again that our state legislative maps are no longer rigged for permanent GOP control.
We live in a democracy now. It somehow feels like the sun is shining a little brighter.
Let’s take a second to dig into what this means, in practice—by visiting a few areas that, at long last, have a shot at genuine representation.
Under the 2022 ultra-gerrymandered maps, the northernmost Democratic state legislator in Wisconsin is Jodi Emerson, who represents the one non-GOP district in Eau Claire. Her district was drawn to soak up as many Democrats as possible and prevent competitive races in the surrounding area.
Now, the overwhelmingly Democratic voters on Wisconsin’s northern edge will be able to elect a Democrat in the 73rd Assembly district; voters in the purple western tip of the state in northwest Wisconsin will have a shot at electing a Democrat in the 30th district; Democrats have a shot at three Assembly districts in Eau Claire—as well as holding the 31st state Senate seat!—and Wausau voters in north-central Wisconsin will finally have a clear shot at electing a Democrat in a district that is likely to be one of the most competitive in the whole state.
Maps of Wisconsin’s old legislative maps and new maps—both for the state Senate and Assembly. “Old” in this case means maps from 2022.
In other words, the Republican myth of a solid-red northern Wisconsin can now enter the dustbin of history. In fact, there will now be competitive or blue districts in every corner of the state—north, south, east, west, and central Wisconsin.
Democrats live everywhere. Rural areas, suburbs, small towns, and cities. To think otherwise is to fall victim to Republican propaganda. The lack of representation was the result of the GOP rigging the maps. Now, election outcomes will reflect the population, not the GOP’s manipulation.
Winning an Assembly majority won’t be easy, not by any stretch of the imagination. But if we win the most votes, it’s now possible. And multiple state Senate seats—as many as five or six—are within reach this cycle as well, putting us on the path to a majority in 2026.
In other words, here in 50-50 Wisconsin, the margin of victory may at last be within the margin of effort.
Our goal is to fill the ballot. To find candidates in every single legislative and Congressional district. Extraordinary folks are already stepping forward, or making plans to do so.
Leader Neubauer in the Assembly and Leader Hesselbein in the Senate are driving this work with singular focus and determination, and with the enthusiastic partnership from me and all of us at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, from our staff to county party leaders to grassroots members and activists in every corner of the state.
This year, we have the opportunity to make history. Let’s show our state, and ourselves, that we are everywhere.
P.S. Flipping dozens of state legislative seats is going to take resources. Can you chip in to help us grow our organizing and mobilization program, invest in competitive races, and provide baseline support to every candidate across the state? Thank you for your help!
