Wisconsin's 21st Senate district

Last updated

Wisconsin's 21st
State Senate district
Flag of Wisconsin.svg
2024 WI Sen 21.svg
Wisconsin's 21st Senate district
2024 WI Sen 21.svg
Wisconsin's 21st Senate district
2024 WI Sen 21.svg
Wisconsin's 21st Senate district
2024 map defined in 2023 Wisc. Act 94
2022 map defined in Johnson v. Wisconsin Elections Commission
2011 map was defined in 2011 Wisc. Act 43
composed of Assembly districts 61, 62, and 63
Senator
  Van H. Wanggaard
R Racine
since January 5, 2015 (9 years)
Demographics74%  White
9.76%  Black
10.86%  Hispanic
3.71%  Asian
1.91%  Native American
0.11%  Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Population (2020)
  Voting age
179,184
139,923
Website Official website
NotesSoutheast Wisconsin

The 21st Senate district of Wisconsin is one of 33 districts in the Wisconsin Senate. [1] Located in southeastern Wisconsin, the district comprises northeast Racine County and southwest Milwaukee County. It includes the city of Franklin, the northern half of the city of Racine, the western half of the city of Greenfield, and part of southwest Milwaukee, as well as the villages of Greendale, Hales Corners, Caledonia, Wind Point, and North Bay. [2]

Contents

Current elected officials

Van H. Wanggaard is the senator representing the 21st district. He was elected to his first term in the 2010 general election, but was removed from office in a recall election in 2012. He subsequently was returned to office in the 2014 general election, and is now in his second four-year term. [3]

Each Wisconsin State Senate district is composed of three Wisconsin State Assembly districts. The 21st Senate district comprises the 61st, 62nd, and 63rd Assembly districts. The current representatives of those districts are: [4]

The district, in its current boundaries, crosses three congressional districts. Most of the district is contained within Wisconsin's 1st congressional district, which is represented by U.S. Representative Bryan Steil. The portion of the district in Greenfield falls within Wisconsin's 5th congressional district, represented by Scott L. Fitzgerald. The portion of the district in the city of Milwaukee falls within Wisconsin's 4th congressional district, represented by Gwen Moore. [5]

Recalls

The 21st Senate district is unique in Wisconsin recall history. In 1996, it became the first district in which a Wisconsin state legislator was successfully removed from office via recall election, when Kimberly Plache defeated George Petak. With the recall of Van H. Wanggaard in 2012, it became the only Wisconsin district where there have been more than one successful recall elections. [6]

Boundaries

As with all state senate and assembly seats, the boundaries of the 21st have moved over time during decennial redistricting. Senators of previous eras have represented different geographic areas.

The district was created after the 1850 census and reapportionment and was drawn for Winnebago County, in central Wisconsin. The inaugural holder was Coles Bashford in the 6th session of the Wisconsin Legislature, 1853.

In the 19th century, the district included at various times Marathon, Oconto, Shawano and Waupaca counties, and was located within the now-defunct 9th Congressional District

For most of the 20th century, the district covered the city of Racine and Racine County, in southeastern Wisconsin, within the boundaries of the 1st Congressional District.

In redistricting after the 2010 census, the city of Racine was mostly removed and rural and suburban portions of Kenosha County were added to the district, turning the 21st into a safe Republican seat. [7]

The 2024 redistricting again dramatically reshaped the district, removing all of Kenosha County and most of Racine County. The district instead moved back into the city of Racine, comprising the city's north side and stretching north into southwest Milwaukee County. Under the new map, it is projected to be one of the most competitive districts in the state Senate.

Past senators

The 21st senate district has had several notable officeholders, including American Civil War General John Azor Kellogg and Wisconsin Governors Coles Bashford and Walter Samuel Goodland.

A list of all previous senators from this district:

SenatorPartyNotesSessionYearsDistrict definition
District created by 1852 Wisc. Act 499. 1852
1852 WI Sen 21.svg
18521856

1856 WI Sen 21.svg
18561860

1861 WI Sen 21.svg
18611865

1866 WI Sen 21.svg
18661870
Winnebago County
Coles Bashford Whig Won 1852 election.
Resigned 1855, elected Governor of Wisconsin.
6th 1853
7th 1854
Rep. 8th 1855
John Fitzgerald Dem. Won 1855 special election. 9th 1856
Edwin Wheeler Rep. 10th 1857
11th 1858
Ganem W. Washburn Rep. 12th 1859
13th 1860
Horace O. Crane Rep. Resigned June 1861. 14th 1861
Samuel M. Hay Rep. Won 1861 special election. 15th 1862
Joseph B. Hamilton Rep. 16th 1863
17th 1864
George S. Barnum Natl. Union 18th 1865
19th 1866
George Gary Natl. Union Resigned Oct. 1867. 20th 1867
William G. Ritch Rep. Won 1867 special election. 21st 1868
Ira W. Fisher Rep. 22nd 1869
23rd 1870
James H. Foster Rep. Redistricted to 19th district. 24th 1871
Myron Reed Dem. 25th 1872
1871 WI Sen 21.svg
Marathon, Oconto, Shawano, Waupaca counties, and
& Lincoln County (organized 1876)
Myron H. McCord Rep. 26th 1873
27th 1874
Willis C. Silverthorn Dem. 28th 1875
29th 1876
Henry Mumbrue Lib. Rep. 30th 1877
1876 WI Sen 21.svg
Marathon, Portage, and Waupaca counties
31st 1878
John Azor Kellogg Rep. 32nd 1879
33rd 1880
Charles F. Crosby Rep. 34th 1881
35th 1882
John Ringle Dem. 36th 18831884
1882 WI Sen 21.svg
Shawano, Waupaca, and Marathon counties
37th 18851886
John E. Leahy Rep. 38th 18871888
39th 18891890
1888 WI Sen 21.svg
Shawano and Waupaca counties, and
Joseph H. Woodnorth Dem. 40th 18911892
41st 18931894
1892 WI Sen 21.svg
Portage and Waushara counties, and
John Phillips Rep. 42nd 18951896
43rd 18971898
1896 WI Sen 21.svg
18961901

1902 WI Sen 21.svg
19021911
Portage and Waupaca counties
William H. Hatton Rep. 44th 18991900
45th 19011902
46th 19031904
47th 19051906
Edward E. Browne Rep. 48th 19071908
49th 19091910
50th 19111912
Edward F. Kileen Rep. 51st 19131914
1912 WI Sen 21.svg
Waushara, Adams, Juneau, and Marquette counties
Frank H. Hanson Rep. 52nd 19151916
53rd 19171918
John A. Conant Rep. 54th 19191920
55th 19211922
Max W. Heck Rep. 56th 19231924
1922 WI Sen 21.svg
19221953

1954 WI Sen 21.svg
19541963
Racine County
57th 19251926
Walter S. Goodland Rep. Won 1926 election.
Re-elected 1930.
Elected Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin in 1934.
58th 19271928
59th 19291930
60th 19311932
61st 19331934
Joseph Clancy Dem. 62nd 19351936
63rd 19371938
Kenneth L. Greenquist Prog. 64th 19391940
65th 19411942
Edward F. Hilker Rep. 66th 19431944
67th 19451946
68th 19471948
69th 19491950
Gerald T. Flynn Dem. 70th 19511952
71st 19531954
Lynn E. Stalbaum Dem. Won 1954 election.
Re-elected 1958, 1962.
Resigned 1964 after election to U.S. House.
72nd 19551956
73rd 19571958
74th 19591960
75th 19611962
76th 19631964
Henry Dorman Dem. Won 1965 special election.
Re-elected 1966, 1970, 1974.
Defeated in 1978 primary.
77th 19651966
1964 WI Sen 21.svg
Southeast Racine County
78th 19671968
79th 19691970
80th 19711972
81st 19731974
1972 WI Sen 21.svg
Eastern Racine County
82nd 19751976
83rd 19771978
Joseph A. Strohl Dem. Won 1978 election.
Re-elected 1982, 1986.
Majority Leader 1987-1990.
Defeated in 1990 election.
84th 19791980
85th 19811982
86th 19831984
Central and Eastern Racine County
87th 19851986
88th 19871988
89th 19891990
George Petak Republican Won 1990 election.
Re-elected 1994.
Defeated in 1996 recall election.
90th 19911992
91st 19931994
Southern and Eastern Racine County
92nd 19951996
Kimberly Plache Dem. Won 1996 recall election.
Re-elected 1998.
Defeated in 2002 election.
93rd 19971998
94th 19992000
95th 20012002
Cathy Stepp Rep. Won 2002 election.
Did not seek re-election.
96th 20032004
Central and Eastern Racine County
97th 20052006
John Lehman Dem. Won 2006 election.
Defeated in 2010 election.
98th 20072008
99th 20092010
Van H. Wanggaard Rep. Won 2010 election.
Defeated in 2012 recall election.
100th 20112012
John Lehman Dem. Won 2012 recall election.
Did not seek re-election.
101st 20132014
Central and Western Racine County
Central and Western Kenosha County
Van H. Wanggaard Rep. Won 2014 election.
Re-elected 2018, 2022.
102nd 20152016
103rd 20172018
Central and Western Racine County
104th 20192020
105th 20212022
106th 2023–2024
2022 WI Sen 21.png
Most of Kenosha County,
most of Racine County,
part of Walworth County

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References

  1. "Senate District 21". Wisconsin Legislature . Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  2. "Wisconsin Legislative Districts - Senate District 21 Boundaries". Wisconsin Legislature . Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  3. "Senator Van H. Wanggaard". Wisconsin Legislature . Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  4. Wisconsin Blue Book, 2011-12 edition, page 60. ISBN   978-0-9752820-1-4.
  5. "State of Wisconsin Congressional Districts" (PDF). Wisconsin Legislature . Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  6. Craig Gilbert (May 20, 2012). "Racine's 21st Senate District no stranger to recalls". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  7. Berman, Ari (January 24, 2018). "How the GOP Rigs Elections". Rolling Stone . Retrieved February 16, 2019.