Wisconsin Senate, District 21
The 21st District of the Wisconsin Senate is located in south-eastern Wisconsin, covering most of the area of Racine and Kenosha counties.[1] Major population centers include the city of Burlington and the villages of Mount Pleasant and Caledonia in Racine County, and the villages of Pleasant Prairie and Salem Lakes in Kenosha County.
Wisconsin's 21st State Senate District | |
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Current senator | Van H. Wanggaard (R–Racine) |
Population (2017) | approx. 180,000 |
Notes | Composed of suburban and rural portions of Racine and Kenosha counties. |
Boundaries
As with all state senate and assembly seats, the boundaries of the 21st have moved over time during decennial redistricting. Senators of previous eras have represented different geographic areas.
The district was created after the 1850 census and reapportionment and was drawn for Winnebago County, in central Wisconsin. The inaugural holder was Coles Bashford in the 6th session of the Wisconsin Legislature, 1853.
In the 19th century, the district included at various times Marathon, Oconto, Shawano and Waupaca counties, and was located within the now-defunct 9th Congressional District
For most of the 20th century, the district covered the city of Racine and Racine County, in southeastern Wisconsin, within the boundaries of the 1st Congressional District.
In redistricting after the 2010 census, the city of Racine was mostly removed and rural and suburban portions of Kenosha County were added to the district, turning the 21st into a safe Republican seat.[2]
Recalls
The 21st Senate district is unique in Wisconsin recall history. In 1996, it became the first district in which a Wisconsin state legislator was successfully removed from office via recall election, when Kimberly Plache defeated George Petak. With the recall of Van H. Wanggaard in 2012, it became the only Wisconsin district where there have been more than one successful recall elections.[3]
Current elected officials
The district is currently represented by Republican Van H. Wanggaard.
The area of the 21st Senate District contains three State Assembly Districts:[4]
- The 61st (represented by Samantha Kerkman)
- The 62nd (represented by Robert Wittke)
- The 63rd (represented by Robin Vos)
The district is located within Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, which is represented by U.S. Representative Bryan Steil. [5]
Past senators
The 21st senate district has had several notable officeholders, including American Civil War General John Azor Kellogg and Wisconsin Governors Coles Bashford and Walter Samuel Goodland.
A list of all previous senators from this district:
Legislative Session | Senator | Party | Years | Notes | District Definition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
District created | 1852 | Winnebago County | |||
6th | Coles Bashford | Whig | 1853 | Elected in 1852 election. Elected Governor of Wisconsin in 1855. | |
7th | 1854 | ||||
8th | Republican | 1855 | |||
9th | John Fitzgerald | Democratic | 1856 | ||
10th | Edwin Wheeler | Republican | 1857 | ||
11th | 1858 | ||||
12th | Ganem W. Washburn | Democratic | 1859 | ||
13th | Republican | 1860 | |||
14th | Horace O. Crane | Republican | 1861 | ||
15th | Samuel M. Hay | Republican | 1862 | ||
16th | Joseph B. Hamilton | Republican | 1863 | ||
17th | 1864 | ||||
18th | George S. Barnum | National Union | 1865 | ||
19th | 1866 | ||||
20th | George Gary | National Union | 1867 | ||
21st | William G. Ritch | Republican | 1868 | ||
22nd | Ira W. Fisher | Republican | 1869 | ||
23rd | 1870 | ||||
24th | James H. Foster | Republican | 1871 | ||
25th | Myron Reed | Democratic | 1872 | Marathon, Oconto, Shawano, Waupaca Counties, and
| |
26th | Myron H. McCord | Republican | 1873 | Marathon, Oconto, Shawano, Waupaca Counties, and
| |
27th | 1874 | ||||
28th | Willis C. Silverthorn | Democratic | 1875 | ||
29th | 1876 | Lincoln, Marathon, Oconto, Shawano, Waupaca Counties, and
| |||
30th | Henry Mumbrue | Liberal Republican | 1877 | Marathon, Portage, and Waupaca Counties | |
31st | 1878 | ||||
32nd | John Azor Kellogg | Republican | 1879 | ||
33rd | 1880 | ||||
34th | Charles F. Crosby | Republican | 1881 | ||
35th | 1882 | ||||
36th | John Ringle | Democratic | 1883–1884 | Shawano, Waupaca, and Marathon Counties | |
37th | 1885–1886 | ||||
38th | John E. Leahy | Republican | 1887–1888 | ||
39th | 1889–1890 | Shawano and Waupaca Counties, and | |||
40th | Joseph H. Woodnorth | Democratic | 1891–1892 | ||
41st | 1893–1894 | Portage and Waushara Counties, and | |||
42nd | John Phillips | Republican | 1895–1896 | ||
43rd | 1897–1898 | Portage and Waupaca Counties | |||
44th | William H. Hatton | Republican | 1899–1900 | ||
45th | 1901–1902 | ||||
46th | 1903–1904 | ||||
47th | 1905–1906 | ||||
48th | Edward E. Browne | Republican | 1907–1908 | ||
49th | 1909–1910 | ||||
50th | 1911–1912 | ||||
51st | Edward F. Kileen | Republican | 1913–1914 | Waushara, Adams, Juneau, and Marquette Counties | |
52nd | Frank H. Hanson | Republican | 1915–1916 | ||
53rd | 1917–1918 | ||||
54th | John A. Conant | Republican | 1919–1920 | ||
55th | 1921–1922 | ||||
56th | Max W. Heck | Republican | 1923–1924 | Racine County | |
57th | 1925–1926 | ||||
58th | Walter Samuel Goodland | Republican | 1927–1928 | Elected in 1926 election. Re-elected 1930. Did not seek re-election in 1934. Elected Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin in 1934. | |
59th | 1929–1930 | ||||
60th | 1931–1932 | ||||
61st | 1933–1934 | ||||
62nd | Joseph Clancy | Democratic | 1935–1936 | ||
63rd | 1937–1938 | ||||
64th | Kenneth L. Greenquist | Progressive | 1939–1940 | ||
65th | 1941–1942 | ||||
66th | Edward F. Hilker | Republican | 1943–1951 | ||
67th | 1945–1946 | ||||
68th | 1947–1948 | ||||
69th | 1949–1950 | ||||
70th | Gerald T. Flynn | Democratic | 1951–1952 | ||
71st | 1953–1954 | ||||
72nd | Lynn E. Stalbaum | Democratic | 1955–1956 | Elected in 1954 election. Re-elected 1958, 1962. Elected to United States House of Representatives in 1964. | |
73rd | 1957–1958 | ||||
74th | 1959–1960 | ||||
75th | 1961–1962 | ||||
76th | 1963–1964 | ||||
77th | Henry Dorman | Democratic | 1965–1979 | Elected in 1965 special election. Re-elected 1966, 1970, 1974. Defeated in 1978 primary election. | |
78th | 1967–1968 | ||||
79th | 1969–1970 | ||||
80th | 1971–1972 | ||||
81st | 1973–1974 |
| |||
82nd | 1975–1976 | ||||
83rd | 1977–1978 | ||||
84th | Joseph A. Strohl | Democratic | 1979–1991 | Elected in 1978 election. Re-elected 1982, 1986. Majority Leader 1987-1990. Defeated in 1990 election. | |
85th | 1981–1982 | ||||
86th | 1983–1984 |
| |||
87th | 1985–1986 | ||||
88th | 1987–1988 | ||||
89th | 1989–1990 | ||||
90th | George Petak | Republican | 1991–1992 | Elected in 1990 election. Re-elected 1994. Defeated in 1996 recall election. | |
91st | 1993–1994 |
| |||
92nd | 1995–1996 | ||||
Kimberly Plache | Democratic | Elected in 1996 recall election. Re-elected 1998. Defeated in 2002 election. | |||
93rd | 1997–1998 | ||||
94th | 1999–2000 | ||||
95th | 2001–2002 | ||||
96th | Cathy Stepp | Republican | 2003–2004 | Elected in 2002 election. Did not seek re-election. |
|
97th | 2005–2006 | ||||
98th | John Lehman | Democratic | 2007–2008 | Elected in 2006 election. Defeated in 2010 election. |
|
99th | 2009–2010 | ||||
100th | Van H. Wanggaard | Republican | 2011–2012 | Elected in 2010 election. Defeated in 2012 recall election. | |
John Lehman | Democratic | Elected in 2012 recall election. Did not seek re-election in 2014. Defeated in election for Lieutenant Governor in 2014. | |||
101st | 2013–2014 |
| |||
102nd | Van H. Wanggaard | Republican | 2015–2016 | Elected in 2014 election. Re-elected 2018. | |
103rd | 2017–2018 |
| |||
104th | 2019–2020 |
Notes
- Wisconsin Blue Book, 2011-12 edition, page 60. ISBN 978-0-9752820-1-4.
- Berman, Ari (2018-01-24). "How the GOP Rigs Elections". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-02-16.
- Craig Gilbert (2012-05-20). "Racine's 21st Senate District no stranger to recalls". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
- Wisconsin Blue Book, 2011-12 edition, page 60. ISBN 978-0-9752820-1-4.
- Wisconsin Blue Book, 2011-12 edition, page 17. ISBN 978-0-9752820-1-4.