Letter to the Editor: ‘Unfair Maps’ Aren’t the Reason for Republican Majorities

Democrats in our state often claim they can’t win a majority of the state legislature seats solely because of the “unfair” district maps.  

However, in the 2010 elections, when Democrats had a majority in the legislature and a Democratic governor (and under the old maps enacted by a federal court), the Democrats lost seats and went from 50 seats in the state legislature to 38. The Republicans gained seats and went from 45 seats to 60 (Ballotpedia.org).  

That election occurred before the new district lines were drawn under Republican leadership, so it’s a disingenuous claim to say that the reason Republicans win more state legislature seats is because of “unfair maps.”

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Dec. 6, 2018: “Republicans enjoy a natural edge in a battle for the legislature because Democratic voters are more concentrated geographically in urban areas, especially Milwaukee and Madison, meaning their voter power is confined to a smaller number of districts.”

Wisconsin maps were drawn with traditional redistricting criteria and ruled constitutional by a panel of three federal judges in 2012. I would argue that Democrats want to change the maps in a way that would redraw districts in odd shapes (instead of more uniform traditional shapes) in order to favor them for future elections. 

The Wisconsin Constitution gives the responsibility of redistricting to the state legislature, not an unelected body. The commission created by Gov. Evers to draw new district lines is not really nonpartisan, just because they don’t have an “R” or a “D” before their name. Seven out of the nine people on the “People’s Commission” created by the governor are active in Democrat/liberal politics. It’s important that people know these facts before supporting what they think or claim is a nonpartisan redistricting commission. I hope this helps give some perspective.

Stephanie Soucek

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin