Wisconsin’s three-judge circuit court panel dismissed a Democratic effort to redraw the state’s congressional district lines, rejecting a bid to alter a Republican-friendly map ahead of November while leaving open the possibility of later fact-finding ordered by the state’s top court.

The lawsuit was filed by Democratic voters seeking to redraw the battleground state’s congressional boundary lines, according to the Associated Press report. The panel ruled that it had “no basis to find the current congressional map invalid,” and it dismissed the case on jurisdictional grounds, saying only the Wisconsin Supreme Court can determine whether the maps should be redrawn.

In its ruling, the panel also said it was “not endorsing the current congressional map.” The judges wrote that, “as circuit court judges,” they do not have the authority to read into a Wisconsin Supreme Court case an analysis that the high court case does not contain. At the same time, the panel said it “stand[s] ready” to engage in any fact-finding the state Supreme Court might order later.

The decision could be appealed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but the reporting said it was unclear whether the Supreme Court could rule in time to affect the 2026 election. The AP report also noted that a second lawsuit seeking to redraw the congressional districts remains pending; that case is not scheduled to go to trial until April 2027.

The dismissed lawsuit alleged that the current maps discriminate against Democrats by packing many Democratic voters into two districts and dividing other Democratic areas into six districts considered more favorable to Republicans. The plaintiffs also argued that the Wisconsin Supreme Court violated a constitutional separation of powers provision when it adopted the most recent map, the AP report said.

Republicans praised the panel’s decision. Zach Bannon, described as a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said the ruling was “a significant win for Republicans and a yet another blow to desperate Democrats who wanted to reshape the electoral landscape,” adding that keeping Wisconsin’s current district lines in place for 2026 puts Republicans “in a strong position” to retain and grow their House majority.

The AP report said the Wisconsin Supreme Court in November ordered that the redistricting cases be first heard by the three-judge panel over objections from Republicans, under a 2011 law enacted by Republicans. It said the U.S. Supreme Court in March 2022 declined to block the maps from taking effect.

The dismissed case was brought on behalf of 11 voters by Elias Law Group, according to the report. The AP said attorneys for the liberal law firm did not immediately reply to a message seeking comment, while attorneys for Wisconsin’s six Republican members of Congress who sought dismissal also had no immediate comment.

The reporting said the current congressional maps were based on those drawn in 2010, when Democrats held five seats compared with three for Republicans. It said Republicans hold six of the state’s eight House seats, but only two are considered competitive, and it highlighted that Democrats have targeted the western Wisconsin seat held by Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden and the southeastern Wisconsin 1st District held by Republican Rep. Bryan Steil.

The AP report also described a pending alternative challenge: the Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy lawsuit, which it said argues that Wisconsin’s congressional maps are unconstitutional as an anti-competitive gerrymander. It reported that the lawsuit points to the median margin of victory for candidates in the eight districts since the maps were enacted being close to 30 percentage points.

sources:

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