Wisconsin Supreme Court Dismisses Redistricting Request

The Wisconsin Supreme Court, which leans liberal, has decided not to reconsider the legislative district boundaries in advance of the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. This ruling was released without any comments from the justices and comes as Democrats aim to reclaim control of the House of Representatives.

Earlier in May, Democrats had petitioned the court to reevaluate the state legislative district lines before the midterm elections.

Mark Pokan, a Democrat from Wisconsin, remarked, “It’s great that Wisconsin has a fair map at the state level, but we should also have fairness at the federal level.” He added that the gerrymandered map for Congressional seats would continue to exist in the state.

In a related development in April, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announced a strategy targeting two Wisconsin congressional seats currently held by Republicans as part of a broader list of competitive districts.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court approved the existing electoral map in 2022. In March 2024, it also rejected a Democratic lawsuit that sought to change Wisconsin’s congressional mapping.

Some observers have pointed out that this bipartisan dismissal of what they considered politically charged efforts to redraw the map may signal how Wisconsin voters might respond at the polls next year.

Despite the setbacks, Democrats had a victory in April when liberal Judge Susan Crawford triumphed over conservative Judge Brad Simel for a position on the state Supreme Court.