Here's how the new Wisconsin legislative maps will impact voters in Green Bay area

GREEN BAY - Gov. Tony Evers signed new electoral maps into law Monday, creating a headache for Green Bay-area senators whose residences were all drawn into the same Senate district.

The new legislative maps the Democratic governor proposed more evenly split the state's legislative districts between Democrats and Republicans and dramatically weakened Republican advantages the party has been operating under since the 2011 district maps were implemented.

“When I promised I wanted fair maps — not maps that are better for one party or another, including my own — I damn well meant it,” Evers said prior to signing the maps into law at the state Capitol. “Wisconsin is not a red state or a blue state — we’re a purple state, and I believe our maps should reflect that basic fact."

The new maps created a Senate district around Green Bay and its surrounding suburbs that drew all three area senators – Eric Wimberger, Andre Jacque and Robert Cowles – into the new Senate District 30.

All Assembly members and the senators in even-numbered districts are up for election in November and will run under the new maps.

Many current legislators no longer live within the boundaries of their newly drawn districts, which will require them to run in the new district they live in, or move to the district they currently represent to try to maintain a legislative seat.

The new maps will not affect senators drawn out of their odd-numbered districts until their reelection attempt in 2026. They would only need to move if they win.

With new district lines, Green Bay-area voters could see some big changes in the candidates running. Here's what the new maps look like in the Green Bay area.

How will the Green Bay-area Senate districts change?

One of the biggest changes for the Green Bay area was the redrawing of Senate District 30, which is now composed of the city of Green Bay, De Pere, Allouez and Bellevue.

The district is currently held by Wimberger, R-Green Bay, but the new boundaries swept in Jacque, R-De Pere, and Cowles, R-Allouez.

Wimberger told the Green Bay Press Gazette he plans to run in the 30th District under the new maps.

As for Cowles, he told the Press-Gazette he plans to move back inside the boundary for Senate District 2 and run for reelection this year.

Senate District 2 had covered Allouez, Howard, northwestern Brown County, parts of Shawano County and the northern half of Outagamie County; now it reaches farther east and north covering Suamico, Oconto Falls and Keshena.

Jacque will still represent his current Senate District 1 until 2026 but would need to move inside the new boundary if he wishes to seek reelection.

Senate District 1 gained Ledgeview and Denmark from District 30 and now stretches further south into Chilton.

See the new state Senate districts

This map shows Wisconsin state Senate districts under the previous 2022 map on the left, and the new 2024 map on the right. Each district is colored according to whether itleans Democrat, leans Republican, or is acompetitive district (within 5%).

Old maps (2022)

New maps (2024)

Note: The partisan lean of districts is calculated based on voting data from national and local elections from 2016 to 2022. Districts with less than 5% difference in Republican and Democratic votes are considered competitive districts.

Map by Andrew Hahn and Eva Wen / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

How will the Green Bay-area Assembly districts change?

The Green Bay metro area's Assembly districts became slightly more competitive under the new maps. Assembly Districts 88 and 89 previously leaned Republican but will now be competitive.

Rep. Kristina Shelton, D-Green Bay, didn't get any drastic changes to her Assembly District 90. The new maps traded the western side of Green Bay for the inclusion of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Assembly District 88's Rep. John Macco, R-Ledgeview, was drawn out of his district but told the Press-Gazette he plans to move back in it to "continue to serve the people of the 88th district just as [he] has for the past 10 years."

His district no longer contains Denmark or the university, but gained De Pere.

Similarly, Assembly District 89's Rep. Elijah Behnke, R-Oconto, was drawn out of his district into Assembly District 4, where he plans to run.

"I want to continue to legislate for my hometown of Oconto," Behnke told the Press Gazette. "Now I have a lot of new people to get to know."

This pairs Behnke against the 4th District's incumbent, Rep. David Steffen, R-Green Bay, who still lives in the new boundaries and is seeking reelection.

Assembly District 89 and 4 essentially swapped boundaries between the 2022 and 2024 maps.

District 4 used to cover Howard, Allouez and Ashwaubenon and now covers Howard, Suamico and Oconto Falls. And District 89 used to run along those northern communities on the bay but now it covers Ashwaubenon and western parts of Green Bay.

See the new state Assembly districts

This map shows Wisconsin state Assembly districts under the previous 2022 map on the left, and the new 2024 map on the right. Each district is colored according to whether itleans Democrat, leans Republican, or is acompetitive district (within 5%).

Old maps (2022)

New maps (2024)

Note: The partisan lean of districts is calculated based on voting data from national and local elections from 2016 to 2022. Districts with less than 5% difference in Republican and Democratic votes are considered competitive districts.

Map by Andrew Hahn and Eva Wen / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

How have the maps changed statewide?

Statewide, Evers' new maps about evenly split the 99 Assembly districts between Republican- and Democratic-leaning districts. Forty-five districts are more Democratic than Republican, and 46 districts are more Republican than Democratic.

The remaining eight districts give either Republicans or Democrats a fair change of winning them.

This is according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel analysis of the new maps that determined the leaning based on districts with more than a 5% difference in Republican and Democratic voters either way.

The 33 state Senate districts proposed by Evers are also pretty evenly split between Republican- and Democratic-leaning districts. Fourteen districts are Democratic-leaning and 15 districts are Republican-leaning.

The other four districts are competitive and are likely to be a toss-up between Democratic and Republican candidates.

Sophia Voight covers local government and politics in the Fox Valley for The Post-Crescent. She can be reached with feedback and story tips at svoight@postcrescent.com.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Here's how new Wisconsin legislative maps will impact Green Bay voters