Democrats got a huge early Christmas present in Wisconsin as the state supreme court ruled that the legislative map drawn by Republicans was unconstitutional and a new map must be drawn before the 2024 election.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported:
The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday ordered the Republican-controlled state Legislature to draw new legislative boundaries ahead of the 2024 election, arguing their GOP advantage is unconstitutional — delivering a long-sought win for Democrats who have stayed deep in the Legislature’s minority for more than a decade.
The court in a 4-3 decision said the court is also prepared to replace the state’s heavily gerrymandered maps if the Legislature and Democratic governor cannot agree on a new plan.
Wisconsin currently has a Democratic governor and a liberal majority on the state supreme court. The legislature has been heavily gerrymandered to keep Democrats buried in the minority even though Wisconsin is a purple state where elections are closely contested.
The legislature is the last Republican stronghold of power in Wisconsin, and a new fair map is likely to end the GOP domination of the legislature. Republicans currently control the state senate 22-11, and the state assembly 64-35. The biggest winners in the Supreme Court decision are the people of Wisconsin, who will finally get a legislature that will reflect and represent the population.
A Special Message From PoliticusUSA
If you are in a position to donate purely to help us keep the doors open on PoliticusUSA during what is a critical election year, please do so here.
We have been honored to be able to put your interests first for 14 years as we only answer to our readers and we will not compromise on that fundamental, core PoliticusUSA value.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association