If it walks like a duck.
The population of Grant County is 51,570, not quite enough to stand on its own.
A much improved design for the 49th Assembly District would lop off the duck's head, i.e., the Richland County portion (red bex), and add 7,000 to 8,000 residents by pushing the eastern boundary of the district into Lafayette County. (orange box)
This time around, the duck's mouth is open wider. Wonder how many hours of discussion this design involved.
Travis Tranel (R- Cuba City) has represented the district since January 2011.
8/27/2022 update starts here
Madison should have a compact east side Assembly District and not this sprawl that the GOP gerrymandering committee created.
Fun with Exact-O knives.
Samba Baldeh (D-Madison) has represented the district since Janaury 2021.
8/26/2022 update starts here
We have two communities of interest here: Monona/McFarland (purple boxes) and Fitchburg (orange box). The former should be part of a district that covers southeastern Dane County. The latter should be combined with with city and town of Verona (direction of orange arrow). Fitchburg doesn't have its own school district, and many of its residents live in the Verona School District.
The two portion of the City of Madison (green and red boxes) should be in a Madison Assembly district.
Dane County accounted for 32% of Wisconsin's population growth from 2010 to 2020. That's why the 47th district shrank in size.
Jimmy Anderson (D-Fitchburg) has represented the district since January 2017.
8/25/2022 update starts here
What a concept! Having Sun Prairie and Cottage Grove in the same Assembly district. Welcome to sanity in the 46th.
For whatever reasons, the GOP took a sensible approach to redrawing the 46th during the 2020 redistricting cycle.
Gary Hebl (D-Sun Prairie) has represented the district since January 2005. He is not running for re-election. Dane County Supervisor Melissa Ratcliff (Cottage Grove) won a 4-way Democratic primary with 36.3% of the vote. In this very blue district, she will certainly be the next elected representative of the 46th.
8/24/2022 update starts here
Suggestions to make this district a community of interest:
1. Keep the City of Beloit (population 36,800; purple box) in a single district and add the two townships to the east. (purple arrows)
2. No need to divide the Town of Plymouth (green box).
3. Eliminate Green County (orange box). With a population o 37,100, the entire county should be in a single district, combining it with Lafayette County (population 16,670) to the west and perhaps the 3 Grant County townships in the southwestern corner of the state.
During the 2022 redistricting cycle, the Wisconsin GOP made the district even less compact than it was before.
Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) has represented the district since January 2015. This fall he is running for an open seat in the 15th State Senate District.
8/23/2022 update starts here
All Janesville. It's population is 64,415 -- about 5,000 residentes higher than the average Assembly district.
Janesville remains in its own district. The zigs and zags reflect show the city has annexed land at its edges.
Sue Conley (D-Janesville) has represented the district since January 2021.
8/22/2022 update starts here
Another example of Dane County dilution, GOP gerrymandering style. The area of Rock County surrounding Janesville should be in its own district to preserve a community of interest.
As a result of this drastic redistricting plan, Don Vruwink (D-Milton) wss left without a district to represent. He had represented the 43rd District since January 2017. He is now running in the 33rd.
8/21/2022 update starts here
Columbia County population: 57,331. Just about right for being its own State Assembly district. Add Lake Delton in neighboring Sauk County to the mix if more population is needed. Lake Delton and Wisconsin Dells are most certainly within a mutual community of interest.
Columbia County is outlined with orange arrows. The Marquette, Green Lake, and Dodge counties portion of the district are boxed in black, ready for shipment elsewhere.
The GOP used the same Exact-O knife approach to carving out district lines in the latest redistricting cycle.
Jon Plumer (R-Lodi) has represented the district since January 2019.
8/20/2022 update starts here
What a mess!
The 41st Assembly District rambles from northeastern Sauk County (green box) to southeastern Waushara County (red box).
The City of Portage (orange box) is treated like a pimple.
With a total population of 34,600, Marquette and Green Lake counties should be located wholly within the same district. Add Adams County and you almost have a full deck.
Even worse in this redistricting cycle.
Alex Dallman (R-Green Lake) has represented the district since January 2021.
8/19/2022 update starts here
Two suggestions to eliminate GOP gerrymandering:
1. Let all of the 24,256 residents of Waushara County be in the same district.
2. Include the Town of Matteson, the only Waupaca County township not in the district and, if necessary for population purposes, add the towns of Deer Creek, Liberty, Hortonia, and Dale in Outagamie County.
The 2010 gerrymandered remains pretty much in place.
Kevin Peterson (R-Waupaca) has represented the district since January 2007.
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