The Sconi

The upcoming August 13 partisan primary election in Wisconsin will determine the nominees for the Wisconsin Assembly and State Senate for the November 5 general election. Currently, Democratic, Republican, and Independent candidates are presenting their positions on key issues to voters.

Nonpartisan redistricting reform was a significant political issue during the 2023-24 Legislative Session and has gained increasing attention since 2011. The topic of fair voting maps has been widely covered in both state and national media.

In December, the Wisconsin Supreme Court declared the partisan gerrymandered legislative districts from 2021-22 unconstitutional. These districts had been vetoed by Governor Tony Evers but were imposed regardless. The Court ordered new legislative maps to be submitted if no agreement could be reached between the Legislature and Governor. In February, fairer state legislative maps proposed by Gov. Evers were passed by the Legislature and signed into law as ACT 94.

However, these fairer maps will only remain until after the next decennial Census in 2031 when districts must be reconfigured based on population changes. To prevent future gerrymandering, it is crucial that voters know whether candidates support legislation for an independent nonpartisan redistricting process.

Common Cause Wisconsin (CC/WI) is challenging state legislative candidates to pledge their support for such a process during the upcoming 2025 legislative session. This pledge aims to ensure that no political party can manipulate voting districts to its advantage.

CC/WI provides a continually updated list of candidates who support this pledge on its website. Candidates or their authorized proxies should contact CC/WI via email at jheck@commoncause.org or by mail at Common Cause Wisconsin, P.O. Box 2597, Madison, WI 53701-2597 to have their names listed.

Incumbent legislators running for re-election must also proactively contact CC/WI to demonstrate continued support for this reform issue. The list of supportive candidates will be regularly updated until the August 13 primary election and beyond until November 5.

Candidates are urged to contact CC/WI before absentee ballots are cast so that voters are informed about where they stand on this critical issue.

All candidates who have filed with the Wisconsin Elections Commission for the August primary are being contacted by CC/WI regarding this opportunity to indicate their support for redistricting reform.

Redistricting reform is essential for a functional and less politically polarized state legislature responsive to citizens rather than political interests. A majority of Wisconsinites support nonpartisan redistricting reform, and it remains to be seen which candidates will pledge their support.

Jay Heck

CC/WI Executive Director