The Wisconsin congressional map battle took another turn on Wednesday. The state’s liberal-majority Supreme Court rejected two Democratic challenges to redraw congressional districts before the 2026 midterms.
This decision, issued without explanation, disappointed Democratic leaders and voting rights groups. They had hoped to shift the current political landscape by forcing new district boundaries.
Democrats aimed to change the map to make two Republican-held seats more competitive. However, the court declined to take up the cases, just as it did last year.
Earlier this year, the same court ordered changes to the state legislative maps. That ruling helped Democrats gain ground in state-level elections last November. Consequently, they believed it created a legal opening to revisit federal congressional lines.
Democratic Representative Mark Pocan expressed frustration after the ruling. He argued that federal districts should reflect the same fairness now seen at the state level. “It’s good that Wisconsin has fair maps at the state level,” Pocan said. “But we deserve them federally too.”
Two groups had filed separate legal petitions with the court. One came from the Elias Law Group, representing Democratic candidates. The other came from Campaign Legal Center on behalf of Wisconsin voters.
Both groups argued that the current congressional boundaries violate the state constitution. They claimed the maps treat voters unequally and skew representation unfairly in favor of Republicans.
In fact, before Republicans redrew the maps in 2011, Democrats held five of Wisconsin’s eight congressional seats. Now, Republicans control six of those eight, even though only two are considered competitive.
This Wisconsin congressional map battle also focuses on specific swing districts. Democrats especially hope to flip the 3rd District in western Wisconsin. Republican Derrick Van Orden currently holds that seat after Ron Kind, a Democrat, retired in 2022.
They also target the 1st District in southeastern Wisconsin. Republican Bryan Steil has held that seat since 2019. Although the latest maps made it more competitive, Republicans still hold the advantage.
Previously, Democratic Governor Tony Evers submitted the current congressional maps. The conservative-controlled state Supreme Court approved them. Then, in 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene.
Despite the court’s refusal to hear the cases, the Wisconsin congressional map battle is far from over. Legal experts expect continued efforts by Democrats to challenge the map before the 2026 elections.
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