The liberal-majority Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled not to hear a challenge from Democrats who sought to toss out the state’s congressional district boundaries before the 2026 midterm elections.
Democrats had been hoping for the maps to be redrawn so they could be more competitive in the battleground state’s U.S. House races.
Republicans control six out of eight congressional districts in the state. Democrats hope to flip the House in 2026 and sought more favorable district boundaries to aid in that effort.
“It’s good that Wisconsin has fair maps at the state level, but we deserve them at the federal level as well,” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) said. “Unfortunately, gerrymandered maps for members of Congress will remain in Wisconsin.”
Two of the districts, represented by Reps. Bryan Steil (R-WI) and Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), are the only ones held by Republicans considered competitive. Business owner Rebecca Cooke came within 3 points of upsetting Van Orden in his district and is running in 2026.
“I’m running for Congress because Wisconsin families deserve a fair shot and a seat at the table,” Cooke said in a press release announcing her candidacy. “It’s clear we need more working-class voices in Congress who have lived failed policy and will actually fight like hell to rebuild the middle class.”
Cooke argued she outperformed other Democrats in November 2024 and called Van Orden “vulnerable.”
Democrats entered into the case because the court redrew maps for state legislative districts a few years ago and claimed that the current federal map violates the state constitution’s requirement that all Wisconsin residents be treated equally.
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When Republicans redrew the maps in 2010, Democrats held five seats to the Republicans’ three. The state has a Democratic governor in Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI), with one Democratic senator, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and one Republican senator, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI).
The current congressional maps were drawn by Evers and have withstood every challenge since.