The major political parties’ redistricting battle has spread across the country. But Wisconsin may go the other direction. That’s if the outgoing governor gets his way.
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Republicans and Democrats have been locked in a state-by-state redistricting battle, but Wisconsin may sit that battle out if the outgoing governor gets his way. Wisconsin Public Radio’s Anya van Wagtendonk explains.
ANYA VAN WAGTENDONK, BYLINE: Wisconsin’s Democratic governor, Tony Evers, is retiring early next year, and at his final State of the State address last month, he said he’ll try to get one big thing done before he goes.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TONY EVERS: So tonight I’m announcing that I’ll be calling a special session of the legislature this spring to take up a constitutional amendment to ban partisan gerrymandering once and for all in Wisconsin.
(CHEERING)
VAN WAGTENDONK: Districting has been a partisan battle in Wisconsin for years. State legislative maps enacted under former Republican Governor Scott Walker in 2011 were some of the most gerrymandered in the country and survived years of court challenges. But when liberals took a majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2023, they threw those out. The new maps are more favorable to Democrats. After all that, Governor Evers says banning partisan gerrymandering would be like a disarmament. And he might have a surprising window of opportunity.
ROBIN VOS: If we could negotiate and try to find something that is truly nonpartisan, you never know. I’d be open to that.
VAN WAGTENDONK: That’s Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, Wisconsin’s most powerful Republican. His party controls both chambers of the legislature, so usually, they don’t really entertain Evers’ special sessions. But this time around, Vos says he’s skeptical but willing to discuss.
BARRY BURDEN: Well, it’s unusual, but I think it has potential.
VAN WAGTENDONK: Barry Burden directs the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He says that those potential negotiations reveal swing-state calculus. Unlike, say, California or Texas, Wisconsin is purple as heck. The governor’s seat and at least one chamber of the legislature could easily flip this fall. That could leave either side vulnerable when new maps are drawn after the 2030 census.
BURDEN: With divided government and uncertain election results on the horizon, I think both parties have an interest in doing maybe something they think is right, rather than something that will advantage their party, because it’s not clear that they will have the ability to lock in those advantages.
VAN WAGTENDONK: And gerrymandering resonates with voters on both sides of the political aisle, according to Sachin Chheda. He’s a Democratic strategist who helped lead the fight against Wisconsin’s Republican gerrymander last decade. He says, while politicians may benefit from skewed maps, most voters don’t want them.
SACHIN CHHEDA: People are against this. Democrats are against it. Republicans are against it. Independents are against it. All Americans are against partisan gerrymandering. We just need a political system that’s responsive to that desire.
VAN WAGTENDONK: But in Wisconsin, the devil is in the details, and so far, the details are scarce. Evers’ proposed constitutional amendment is just two sentences long, and while it says maps can’t create a disproportionate partisan advantage, that isn’t defined. Burden, the UW expert, says this could still be a first step towards making maps fairer in Wisconsin. For lawmakers who fear being on the losing side of a gerrymander, that may be a step worth taking. For NPR News in Madison, Wisconsin, I’m Anya van Wagtendonk.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
Copyright © 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
