As the Wisconsin redistricting case heads to the new liberal Supreme Court, it’s worth remembering that most Wisconsinites oppose new maps.
With oral arguments scheduled Nov. 21, 2023, in the liberal attempt to invalidate Wisconsin legislative elections and the public’s votes, it’s worth remembering that a recent poll, from the most credible Wisconsin pollster, found that the public OPPOSES new redistricting maps. That’s true almost across the board.
To boil down the demographics, young atheist Democrats or rich, elite folks with PHDS or master’s degrees support new maps. Those findings come from the crosstabs of a Marquette Law School poll from early November 2023, and that’s widely considered the most credible state poll.
It turns out that Wisconsin voters of all races and both genders don’t want their votes thrown out or their legislators moved to other newly drawn partisan districts. Democrats are trying to get the court to order 132 state lawmakers to stand for election again under new maps in 2024. Independents also oppose new maps. That means it’s an issue without crossover appeal, with support for invalidating people’s votes concentrated among Democrats.
New Wisconsin redistricting maps are unpopular everywhere except Madison and Milwaukee.
The poll is a warning to Democrats that they risk overplaying their hand if they continue to pursue new legislative maps. The new liberal Supreme Court majority is widely expected to rule in favor of new maps because new Justice Janet Protasiewicz made it clear she had prejudged the case by calling the current maps “rigged.”
The poll asked: “A case currently before the state Supreme Court could require maps of the legislative districts for the state Senate and Assembly to be redrawn for upcoming elections. Do you favor redrawing the district maps or should the maps created prior to the 2022 elections remain in place until the next scheduled redistricting in 2031?”
The Marquette poll’s crosstabs showed that more people in these groups oppose new maps:
Men
Women
People ages 30 to 44
People ages 45 to 59
People ages 60 plus
People with high school educations
People with some college educations
People with what the poll calls “AA” education levels
People making under $40,000
People making between $40,000 and $74,0000
Republicans
Independents
People who lean Republican
People who lean Independent
Married people
Divorced, separated or widowed people
White people
Black people
Hispanic people
People with “other” as a race
People who go to church more than once a week
People who go to church once a week
People who go to church once or twice a month
People who go to church a few times a year
People who seldom go to church
People who are born-again Protestants
People who are mainline Protestants
People who are Roman Catholic
People who are very conservative
People who are conservative
People who are in labor unions
People who have a member of their household in a labor union
People who don’t have anyone in a labor union in their household
People who live in the Milwaukee media market outside the City and County of Milwaukee
People who live in the Green Bay media market
People who live in western or northern Wisconsin
These are the far fewer groups who want new maps:
People 18 to 29
People with no high school diploma
People with advanced college degrees
People who make over $75,000
Democrats
People who lean Democrat
Never married people
People who never go to church
People with no religion or who aren’t Catholic or Protestant
Liberal and very liberal people
People who live in the Madison media market
People who live in the city of County of Milwaukee
