Wisconsin Republicans Fold in Gerrymandering Battle

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has just signed new legislative district maps into law, changing the boundary lines for congressional districts that will be in effect during the upcoming November election. The GOP supported the measure to avoid the Supreme Court drawing up the new boundaries.

The state has been operating since 2011 under maps drawn up by Republicans. The Democrats tried unsuccessfully for more than a decade to overturn them. Gov. Evers (D) said the new maps are much fairer to both parties and better reflect Wisconsin as a state with similar levels of support among voters for both parties.

“When I promised I wanted fair maps, not maps that are better for one party or another, including my own, I damn well meant it,” he said. “Wisconsin is not a red state or a blue state, we’re a purple state, and I believe our maps should reflect that basic fact.”

Control of the state Supreme Court flipped in August last year, bringing Justice Janet Protasiewicz into the fold and setting the stage for the boundary changes. A lawsuit was filed the day after Justice Protasiewicz joined the court to have the old maps thrown out. Justice Protasiewicz ended up providing the deciding fourth vote in a ruling last December, which declared the current boundary maps unconstitutional despite calls to recuse herself from any cases involving redistricting over bias concerns.

In her election campaign, Justice Protasiewicz was very vocal about wanting to change the maps, calling them “rigged” and “unfair.”

In the aftermath of the decision, Republicans and Democrats couldn’t reach an accord on the new boundary lines, and the Supreme Court said it would draw the lines if the Legislature couldn’t pass new maps soon. Facing a March deadline from the State Elections Commission, the Legislature passed the maps on Feb. 20.

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Some skeptical Democrats voted against the bill and raised concerns that the maps wouldn’t take effect immediately, possibly calling into question the legality of any special or recall elections before November.

However, Gov. Evers says the “maps will take effect immediately after publication and will be in place for the fall elections.” He also asked the state Supreme Court to clarify that the new boundary lines will be in effect for any special elections prior to the November election.

Republicans Left With Few Viable Options

Wisconsin GOP members had their proposed maps thrown out by the Wisconsin Supreme Court after consultants hired by the court ruled them to be “partisan gerrymanders.”

Gov. Evers, Democratic lawmakers, and three other parties submitted new boundary lines to the court as well. Republican state Sen. Van Wanggaard said in a media statement that Republicans chose to pass the maps through the legislature to avoid the Supreme Court drawing up the new boundaries.

“Republicans were not stuck between a rock and hard place,” he said. “It was a matter of choosing to be stabbed, shot, poisoned, or led to the guillotine. We chose to be stabbed, so we can live to fight another day.”

At the same time, Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said the restructuring is a big win for the Democrats in the state and Gov. Evers. In Mr. Vos’s opinion, the new maps will likely only have one result, “the Legislature will be up for grabs.”

“It pains me to say it, but Gov. Evers gets a huge win today,” he said.

For the last decade, the Legislature has been firmly under Republican control. According to Mr. Vos, the new maps were the “most Republican-leaning maps out of all the Democrat-gerrymandered maps being considered by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.”

“This fall, Republicans will prove that we can win on any maps because we have the better policy ideas for the State of Wisconsin,” he added.

The Associated Press contributed to this Report.