If Cows Could Vote: Wisconsin State Spotlight
by Luke Fuszard HBS '10
Wisconsin is known for many things: the 4-time Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers; more dairy cows residing in the state than humans; and extremely close elections. Donald Trump carried the Badger State in 2016 by 0.77%. Joe Biden flipped Wisconsin blue in 2020 by an even smaller margin. Wisconsin’s 2022 midterms saw the reelection of two political opposites, Democratic Governor Tony Evers and Republican Senator Ron Johnson. Both of them squeaked by in their respective contests.
Every single pundit, on both sides of the political aisle, agrees that America’s Dairyland is one of only a handful of true swing states left in the country ahead of 2024. Wisconsin will play a crucial role in 2024 in the races for the presidency and for the Senate. Senator Tammy Baldwin will once again be on the ballot. For those unfamiliar, she is the first openly LGBTQ senator in United States history.
At the state house level, Wisconsin is home to the most gerrymandered legislative maps in America. Though Democrats captured over 50% of the statewide vote in the midterms, Republicans hold a viselike grip on the State Assembly and Senate. Democrats hold barely enough seats in both legislative Houses to prevent Republicans from overturning the governor's vetoes by a 2/3 vote. That veto power is critical as it has prevented Republicans from passing abhorrent legislation that would, for example, have allowed concealed weapons on school campuses.
Earlier this year, liberals wrested control of the State Supreme Court from conservatives. For the first time in many years, there is hope that the will of the Democratic majority will prevail, as the new court may finally strike down those gerrymandered legislative maps. As with the Packers heading into the playoffs, though, there’s no guarantee that the court will succeed. Therefore, it’s critical that we work on both persuasion and voter turnout to ensure that Wisconsin goes blue up and down the ticket in 2024.
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