Republicans Fearful of New District Maps

Clarke Petitioners’ Senate Map

Republican legislators are more restless than they have been in years.

Less than 10 months away from having to seek re-election, they don’t know what districts they will be running in, or maybe even where they will be living on Nov 5. It’s the opposite of 2011, when they were the insiders on this: Republican map-makers made them sign confidentiality pledges before showing them their new districts.

Because the state Supreme Court will be drawing new boundaries for 99 Assembly members, and 16 of the 33 senators, Republican incumbents won’t be picking their voters this time. And, in addition to the angst of potentially having to run in new communities, there is also the fear of being in a district with another incumbent Republican. If they both decide to run again, they must face off in an August primary, move into a new district or retire.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported that an analysis by John D. Johnson, a Marquette University Law School fellow, found that one of the seven redistricting maps submitted to the Supreme Court plans would put four Republicans – Senators Dan Knodl and Duey Stroebel and Representatives John J. Macco and Shae Sortwell – in the same districts. Those two seats would be filled on Nov. 5.

That same map would also put four Dane County Democrats – Senators Kelda Roys and Melissa Agard and Representatives Alex Joers and Mike Bare – in the same districts. Agard is running to be elected Dane County executive in April, however.

Republicans, who control the Assembly by a 64-35 margin and the Senate by a 22-11 edge, have the most to lose under all seven maps.

Supreme Court justices should not adopt maps with any “large partisan bias,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said last week. Maps submitted to the justices by Republican legislators would make the least change to current districts, largely retaining their current advantage.

Macco called the legislative maps given the justices by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers “blatant and intentional gerrymandering.”

But Republicans also disagree on several other important issues, including whether to change how Wisconsin elects U.S. senators and U.S. House members.

A bill to implement Ranked Choice Voting, which would put the names of any candidate – Republican, Democrat or third party – getting the most votes in a primary on the general election ballot, is sponsored by several Republicans, including Sen. Jesse James and Reps. Ron Tusler and Tony Kurtz.

But other Republicans, led by Stroebel and Rep. Ty Bodden, want a constitutional amendment that would outlaw Ranked Choice Voting in Wisconsin.

Then there is the GOP’s intramural fight over marijuana.

Vos said he won’t negotiate to change the plan of Assembly Republicans to legalize the sale of non-smokable medical marijuana for the critically ill in five state-run dispensaries, even though Senate Republicans either don’t like that plan or don’t want to legalize medical marijuana.

Meanwhile, Sortwell and two Democrats have introduced a separate bill creating a standard $100 fine for possession of a half ounce or less of marijuana and eliminating felony charges for anyone caught a second time with less than an ounce.

In a Wisconsin Public Radio interview, Sortwell said it’s a compromise between lawmakers who want harsher penalties and others who want to see them weakened. He said some cities like Milwaukee, Madison and Eau Claire have enacted local ordinances reducing or eliminating fines for having small amounts of marijuana.

No Senate Republican is sponsoring that bill.

Supporters of former President Donald Trump filed another recall petition against Vos last week, saying he has failed to respond to the Senate-led push to fire Elections Administrator Meagan Wolfe and opposes Trump’s campaign for President. A Dane County judge dismissed the vote by Senate Republicans to fire Wolfe and ordered that she remain on the job.

Trump worked to defeat Vos, the longest serving speaker in Wisconsin history, in his Racine County district in 2022.

Thursday, Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August publicly rebuked a member of his caucus, Rep. Janel Brandtjen, a Trump supporter, for continuing to try to fire Wolfe.

Trump got 51% of the vote in Iowa’s Republican caucuses last week, which was close to the 54% support he got from Wisconsin Republicans in a November poll by Marquette University’s Law School. But 40% of Iowa Republicans, and more than 25% of Republicans in the Marquette poll, wanted someone other than Trump.

For their part, Democrats see the new district lines as an opportunity to gain more seats, especially in suburban areas. Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein, her party’s fifth leader in almost 10 years, must find candidates for the 16 Senate seats up in November.

Steven Walters started covering the Capitol in 1988. Contact him at stevenscotwalters@gmail.com