WASHINGTON — With the battle over the maps for new state legislative districts over, Gov. Tony Evers said it’s time for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to address the state’s gerrymandered congressional districts.
He wrote online that he wants to “end gerrymandering in Wisconsin at every level.”
“Democrats are frustrated that in a state that’s basically divided 50/50 between the parties, out of eight congressional districts, Democrats only hold two seats, Republicans hold six,” said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “So they’re hoping that the momentum at the state Supreme Court that led to the overturn of the state legislative districts might also transfer to the congressional districts, maybe in time even for this year’s elections.”
A Democratic law firm, Elias Law Group, filed a motion last month to redraw the boundaries for the U.S. House in Wisconsin. It cited the same legal arguments the new liberal majority on the state Supreme Court used to order fairer maps for the legislative districts.
“The court has already hired two consultants who were supposed to draw the maps potentially for the state legislature,” Burden said. “So I think the plaintiffs in this case are hoping that all of the pieces that are in place would make it possible for the court to act more quickly on this one.”
The Wisconsin Elections Commission said it would need new maps by March 15, in order to know where the new congressional district boundaries are to prepare ballots. That does not allow much time for the state’s highest court to act.
“I think without even having a timeline yet to hear the case, it seems unlikely that it could be resolved that quickly,” Burden said.
The state Republican party noted that the balance of power on the state’s highest court flipped with the addition of Justice Janet Protasiewicz, who was backed by Democrats during her campaign.
“This is nothing more than a blatant attempt by Wisconsin Democrats to exploit a compromised Justice for the sake of entrenching themselves in positions of power,” GOP spokesman Matt Fisher wrote in part.
In a court filing, five of Wisconsin’s six Republican congressmen said Protasiewicz should recuse herself if the state Supreme Court reviews the federal maps, since she made comments about the boundaries being unfair during her campaign. The judge did not respond to a request for comment.
Republicans now have just a three-seat majority in the U.S. House, one of the smallest advantages in history. Even a minor change in the political composition of the Wisconsin’s congressional delegation could affect which party controls the House next year.