The exterior dome of the Wisconsin state Capitol is seen in Madison Feb. 15, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
(WTAQ-WLUK) — Forty-two lawmakers in the state of Wisconsin ran for re-election outside of the district they originally represented, and some will need to relocate before they begin their term in January.
That’s thanks to new district maps which were introduced for the 2024 election cycle.
Take, for example, Assembly District 6. The outline in purple shows the area District 6 represented in 2022.
A map of Northeast Wisconsin State Assembly districts in 2022. (Courtesy: Wisconsin State Legislature)
The redrawn map in 2024 shows the district outline in orange.
A map of Northeast Wisconsin State Assembly districts after the redistricting for 2024. (Courtesy: Wisconsin State Legislature)
From 2022 to 2024, District 6’s coverage area shifted significantly north, now covering portions of Menominee and Oconto counties. It no longer covers any portions of Outagamie County.
Lawrence University history professor Jerald Podair said while campaigning, lawmakers did not need to live in the district they’re seeking to represent.
“They just have to live in the district, and it has to be their primary residence, when they actually start serving,” he said. “So, when we see the new year, they’re going to have to find new homes.”
Podair said the redistricting will have major impacts outside of election cycles.
He said the movement of representatives will impact residence requirements for families of the government officials.
I don’t think the redistricting was done with inconveniencing legislatures and disrupting their lives in mind. It was just to make the districts both fair and more representative.
Podair was asked why representatives have to live in the district they are representing.
“That’s an interesting question, because that is not the case in some other countries,” he said. “At least for a long time in Great Britain, you did not necessarily have to live in the district or the borough you represented in Parliament.”
Podair continued, “In America, we have a system of direct representation, where the idea is that if you represent the people of a district, you are among the people of that district.”
In the 2022 map, State Senator Eric Wimberger represented the 30th District, but he will now represent the state’s 2nd District.
On election night he spoke on how he’ll approach representing his new new district.
“I think it’s ideologically aligned with where I’m at and I’ll be a good representative, I think,” he said. “I just do the best I can, and I’ll continue to do the best I can for the people I represent,” he said.
Podair says this type of movement on this scale hasn’t happened in the past 25 years in Wisconsin, but it could happen again in 10 years.
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