Wisconsin House map suits slip past 2026
Two lawsuits challenging Wisconsin’s congressional districts are unlikely to be resolved before the 2026 midterms, judges and schedules indicated during Dec. 12 hearings in Madison. One three-judge panel set a prospective trial date of April 5, 2027 if the case proceeds, while plaintiffs in a separate case urged a ruling by the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s March 1, 2026 map deadline; defendants argue rushing for 2026 would be unfair. The Wisconsin Supreme Court last month directed that such redistricting suits be first heard by three-judge panels under a 2011 law.
📌 Key Facts
- Hearings were held Dec. 12, 2025 before two newly assigned three-judge panels in Madison.
- One case has a potential trial date of April 5, 2027, contingent on surviving a motion to dismiss.
- Plaintiffs sought a ruling by about March 1, 2026 to meet election deadlines; defendants argued that timeline is unfair.
- Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered three-judge panel review last month over GOP objections.
- Business coalition suit alleges anti-competitive gerrymander; Democratic-voter suit alleges partisan discrimination via packing and cracking.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2020, Wisconsin's population was 78.6% White, 6.2% Black, 7.6% Hispanic, 3.0% Asian, 1.2% Native American/Other, and 3.5% Multiracial.
Wisconsin Demographics - Map of Population by Race - Census Dots — Census Dots
In the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin, White voters (86% of electorate) supported Trump by 52% and Biden by 46%; Black voters (6%) supported Biden by 92% and Trump by 8%; Latino voters (4%) supported Biden by 60% and Trump by 37%.
Wisconsin Exit Polls: How Different Groups Voted — The New York Times
In 2023, Wisconsin's 4th Congressional District had a population composition of 41% non-Hispanic White, 31.7% non-Hispanic Black, 18.2% Hispanic, 4.7% non-Hispanic Asian, with no single racial or ethnic group forming a majority.
Congressional District 4, WI | Data USA — Data USA
In 2023, Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District had a population composition of 75% non-Hispanic White, 5.89% non-Hispanic Black, 12.9% Hispanic.
Congressional District 1, WI | Data USA — Data USA
Wisconsin's population is 86% White and 7.7% Black according to the 2020 Census, with almost 90% of the Black population residing in the southeastern part of the state.
Are Black people in Wisconsin mostly in state's southeastern part? — Wisconsin Watch