Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district

Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district
Map
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative
Area3,511.41 sq mi (9,094.5 km2)
Distribution
  • 75.65% urban
  • 24.35% rural
Population (2023)747,345
Median household
income
$82,081[1]
Ethnicity
Cook PVID+19[3]

Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in southern Wisconsin, covering Dane County, Iowa County, Lafayette County, Sauk County and Green County, as well as portions of Richland County and Rock County.[4] The district includes Madison, the state's capital, its suburbs and the surrounding areas. The district also includes the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus, and like many districts of this era anchored by a college town, the district is overwhelmingly Democratic.

The district is currently represented by Democrat Mark Pocan, who succeeded current Senator Tammy Baldwin in 2013.

Since the late 1990s, the district has tilted more and more Democratic, due to the presence of the heavily Democratic capital city, Madison, and the increasingly Democratic suburbs and exurbs surrounding the city—the fastest growing region in the state. The 2002 court-ordered redistricting also accelerated this trend by removing several of the more Republican-leaning areas of the district into the 3rd congressional district. Since the implementation of that map, only the Milwaukee-based 4th district is more Democratic. John Kerry won the district in 2004 with 62% of the vote. Barack Obama also swept the district in 2008 with 69% of the vote to John McCain's 30%. Donald Trump received the lowest percentage vote of a major party presidential candidate in the district in the 21st century, with 29% in both 2016 and 2020, to Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden’s 66% and 69% respectively.

Counties and municipalities within the district

# County Seat Population
25 Dane Madison 563,951
45 Green Monroe 36,988
49 Iowa Dodgeville 23,756
65 Lafayette Darlington 16,784
101 Rock Janesville 164,381
111 Sauk Baraboo 65,697

Dane County

Belleville, Black Earth, Blue Mounds, Brooklyn, Cambridge, Cottage Grove, Cross Plains, Dane, Deerfield, DeForest, Fitchburg, Madison, Maple Bluff, Marshall, Mazomanie, McFarland, Middleton, Monona, Mount Horeb, Oregon, Rockdale, Shorewood Hills, Stoughton, Sun Prairie (city), Verona, Waunakee, and Windsor.

Green County

Albany, Brodhead, Browntown, Monroe, Monticello, and New Glarus.

Iowa County

Arena, Avoca, Barneveld, Cobb, Dodgeville, Highland, Hollandale, Linden, Mineral Point, Muscoda (Iowa County side), Rewey, and Ridgeway.

Lafayette County

Argyle, Belmont, Benton, Blanchardville, Darlington, Gratiot, Shullsburg, and South Wayne.

Rock County

Edgerton, Evansville, Footville, and Orfordville.

Sauk County

Baraboo, Lake Delton, Loganville, Merrimac, North Freedom, Plain, Prairie du Sac, Reedsburg, Rock Springs, Spring Green, Sauk City, and Wisconsin Dells (Sauk County section).

List of members representing the district

Member Party Date Cong
ress
Electoral history District
District established June 9, 1848

Mason C. Darling
(Fond du Lac)
Democratic June 9, 1848 –
March 3, 1849
30th Elected to the short term in 1848.
Retired.
Brown, Calumet, Chippewa, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Iowa, La Pointe, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marquette, Portage, Richland, Sauk, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Washington, & Winnebago counties

Orsamus Cole
(Potosi)
Whig March 4, 1849 –
March 3, 1851
31st Elected to the regular term in 1848.
Lost re-election.
Adams, Chippewa, Crawford, Dane, Grant, Green, Iowa, La Pointe, Lafayette, Portage, Richland, Rock, Sauk, & St. Croix, counties (& Bad Ax, Buffalo, Burnett, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Marathon, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Trempealeau, & Wood counties created from this territory during the 1850s)

Ben C. Eastman
(Platteville)
Democratic March 4, 1851 –
March 3, 1855
32nd
33rd
Elected in 1850.
Re-elected in 1852.
Retired.

Cadwallader C. Washburn
(La Crosse)
Republican March 4, 1855 –
March 3, 1861
34th
35th
36th
Elected in 1854.
Re-elected in 1856.
Re-elected in 1858.
Retired.
Luther Hanchett
(Plover)
Republican March 4, 1861 –
November 24, 1862
37th Elected in 1860.
Died.
Vacant November 24, 1862 –
January 26, 1863

Walter D. McIndoe
(Wausau)
Republican January 26, 1863 –
March 3, 1863
Elected to finish Hanchett's term.
Redistricted to the 6th district.

Ithamar Sloan
(Janesville)
Republican March 4, 1863 –
March 3, 1867
38th
39th
Elected in 1862.
Re-elected in 1864.
Retired.
Columbia, Dane, Jefferson, & Rock counties
Benjamin F. Hopkins
(Madison)
Republican March 4, 1867 –
January 1, 1870
40th
41st
Elected in 1866.
Re-elected in 1868.
Died.
Vacant January 1, 1870 –
February 23, 1870
41st

David Atwood
(Madison)
Republican February 23, 1870 –
March 3, 1871
Elected to finish Hopkins's term.
Retired.

Gerry Whiting Hazelton
(Columbus)
Republican March 4, 1871 –
March 3, 1875
42nd
43rd
Elected in 1870.
Re-elected in 1872.
Retired.
Columbia, Dane, Jefferson, & Sauk counties



Lucien B. Caswell
(Fort Atkinson)
Republican March 4, 1875 –
March 3, 1883
44th
45th
46th
47th
Elected in 1874.
Re-elected in 1876.
Re-elected in 1878.
Re-elected in 1880.
Lost renomination.

Daniel H. Sumner
(Waukesha)
Democratic March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1885
48th Elected in 1882.
Retired.
Dodge, Fond du Lac, Washington, & Waukesha counties

Edward S. Bragg
(Fond du Lac)
Democratic March 4, 1885 –
March 3, 1887
49th Elected in 1884.
Lost renomination.

Richard W. Guenther
(Oshkosh)
Republican March 4, 1887 –
March 3, 1889
50th Redistricted from the 6th district and re-elected in 1886.
Retired.

Charles Barwig
(Mayville)
Democratic March 4, 1889 –
March 3, 1895
51st
52nd
53rd
Elected in 1888.
Re-elected in 1890.
Re-elected in 1892.
Lost re-election.
Columbia, Dane, Dodge, & Jefferson counties

Edward Sauerhering
(Mayville)
Republican March 4, 1895 –
March 3, 1899
54th
55th
Elected in 1894.
Re-elected in 1896.
Retired.

Herman Dahle
(Mount Horeb)
Republican March 4, 1899 –
March 3, 1903
56th
57th
Elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Lost renomination.

Henry Cullen Adams
(Madison)
Republican March 4, 1903 –
July 9, 1906
58th
59th
Elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Died.
Adams, Columbia, Dane, Jefferson, Green Lake, & Marquette counties


Vacant July 9, 1906 –
September 4, 1906
59th

John M. Nelson
(Madison)
Republican September 4, 1906 –
March 3, 1913
59th
60th
61st
62nd
Elected to finish Adams's term.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Redistricted to the 3rd district.

Michael E. Burke
(Beaver Dam)
Democratic March 4, 1913 –
March 3, 1917
63rd
64th
Redistricted from the 6th district and re-elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
Lost re-election.
Columbia, Dodge, Jefferson, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, & Washington counties

Edward Voigt
(Sheboygan)
Republican March 4, 1917 –
March 3, 1927
65th
66th
67th
68th
69th
Elected in 1916.
Re-elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Retired.

Charles A. Kading
(Watertown)
Republican March 4, 1927 –
March 3, 1933
70th
71st
72nd
Elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Lost renomination.

Charles W. Henney
(Portage)
Democratic March 4, 1933 –
January 3, 1935
73rd Elected in 1932.
Lost re-election.
Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, & Waukesha counties

Harry Sauthoff
(Madison)
Progressive January 3, 1935 –
January 3, 1939
74th
75th
Elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
Lost re-election.

Charles Hawks Jr.
(Horicon)
Republican January 3, 1939 –
January 3, 1941
76th Elected in 1938.
Lost re-election.

Harry Sauthoff
(Madison)
Progressive January 3, 1941 –
January 3, 1945
77th
78th
Elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Lost re-election.

Robert Kirkland Henry
(Jefferson)
Republican January 3, 1945 –
November 20, 1946
79th Elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946 but died before next term began.
Vacant November 20, 1946 –
April 22, 1947
79th
80th

Glenn Robert Davis
(Waukesha)
Republican April 22, 1947 –
January 3, 1957
80th
81st
82nd
83rd
84th
Elected to finish Henry's term.
Re-elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1950.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.

Donald Edgar Tewes
(Waukesha)
Republican January 3, 1957 –
January 3, 1959
85th Elected in 1956.
Lost re-election.

Robert Kastenmeier
(Sun Prairie)
Democratic January 3, 1959 –
January 3, 1991
86th
87th
88th
89th
90th
91st
92nd
93rd
94th
95th
96th
97th
98th
99th
100th
101st
Elected in 1958.
Re-elected in 1960.
Re-elected in 1962.
Re-elected in 1964.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Lost re-election.
Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, & Jefferson counties
Columbia, Dane, Iowa, Lafayette, & Sauk counties &
most of Dodge County, most of Green County, & part of Fond du Lac County
    • Dodge County
      • Town of Beaver Dam
      • Town of Burnett
      • Town of Calamus
      • Town of Chester
      • Town of Clyman
      • Town of Elba
      • Town of Fox Lake
      • Town of Herman
      • Town of Hubbard
      • Town of Hustisford
      • Town of Leroy
      • Town of Lomira
      • Town of Lowell
      • Town of Oak Grove
      • Town of Portland
      • Town of Shields
      • Town of Theresa
      • Town of Trenton
      • Town of Westford
      • Town of Williamstown
      • Village of Brownsville
      • Village of Clyman
      • Village of Hustisford
      • Village of Iron Ridge
      • Village of Kekoskee
      • Village of Lomira
      • Village of Lowell
      • Village of Reeseville
      • Village of Theresa
      • the part of the village of Randolph in the county
      • City of Beaver Dam
      • City of Fox Lake
      • City of Horicon
      • City of Juneau
      • City of Mayville
      • City of Waupun
    • Fond du Lac County
      • Town of Waupun
      • City of Waupun
    • All of Green County except
      • Town of Albany
      • Town of Spring Grove
      • Village of Albany
      • City of Brodhead
Columbia, Dane, Iowa, Lafayette, & Sauk counties &
western Dodge County, northwest Green County, eastern Richland County, parts of Adams County, parts of Juneau County, & parts of Grant County
    • Adams County
      • Town of Dell Prairie
      • Town of New Haven
      • Town of Springville
    • Dodge County
      • Town of Beaver Dam
      • Town of Calamus
      • Town of Clyman
      • Town of Elba
      • Town of Emmet
      • Town of Fox Lake
      • Town of Hustisford
      • Town of Lowell
      • Town of Oak Grove
      • Town of Portland
      • Town of Shields
      • Town of Trenton
      • Town of Westford
      • Village of Clyman
      • Village of Hustisford
      • Village of Lowell
      • Village of Reeseville
      • the part of the village of Randolph in the county
      • City of Beaver Dam
      • City of Fox Lake
      • City of Horicon
      • City of Juneau
    • Grant County
      • Town of Hazel Green
      • Town of Smelser
      • the part of the village of Hazel Green in the county
      • the part of the village of Livingston in the county
      • the part of the village of Montfort in the county
      • the part of the city of Cuba City in the county
    • Green County
      • Town of Adams
      • Town of Jordan
      • Town of Monroe
      • Town of New Glarus
      • Town of Sylvester
      • Town of Washington
      • Town of York
      • Village of New Glarus
      • the part of the village of Belleville in the county
      • the part of the village of Brooklyn in the county
      • City of Monroe
    • Juneau County
      • Town of Kildare
      • Town of Lyndon
      • Town of Seven Mile Creek
      • Town of Summit
      • Town of Wonewoc
      • Village of Lyndon Station
      • Village of Union Center
      • Village of Wonewoc
      • the part of the city of Wisconsin Dells in the county
    • Richland County
      • Town of Buena Vista
      • Town of Ithaca
      • Town of Orion
      • Town of Westford
      • Town of Willow
      • Village of Lone Rock
      • the part of the village of Cazenovia in the county

Scott Klug
(Madison)
Republican January 3, 1991 –
January 3, 1999
102nd
103rd
104th
105th
Elected in 1990.
Re-elected in 1992.
Re-elected in 1994.
Re-elected in 1996.
Retired.
1993–2003

Tammy Baldwin
(Madison)
Democratic January 3, 1999 –
January 3, 2013
106th
107th
108th
109th
110th
111th
112th
Elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000.
Re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Re-elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2010.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.
2003–2013

Mark Pocan
(Vermont)
Democratic January 3, 2013 –
present
113th
114th
115th
116th
117th
118th
Elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.
Re-elected in 2024.
2013–2023
2023–present

Recent election results

2002 district boundaries (2002–2011)

Year Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
2002[5] Nov. 5 Tammy Baldwin (inc) Democratic 163,313 66.01% Ron Greer Rep. 83,694 33.83% 247,410 79,619
2004[6] Nov. 2 Tammy Baldwin (inc) Democratic 251,637 63.27% Dave Magnum Rep. 145,810 36.66% 397,724 105,827
2006[7] Nov. 7 Tammy Baldwin (inc) Democratic 191,414 62.82% Dave Magnum Rep. 113,015 37.09% 304,688 78,399
2008[8] Nov. 4 Tammy Baldwin (inc) Democratic 277,914 69.33% Peter Theron Rep. 122,513 30.56% 400,841 155,401
2010[9] Nov. 2 Tammy Baldwin (inc) Democratic 191,164 61.77% Chad Lee Rep. 118,099 38.16% 309,460 73,065

2011 district boundaries (2012–2021)

Year Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
2012[10] Nov. 6 Mark Pocan Democratic 265,422 67.90% Chad Lee Rep. 124,683 31.90% 390,898 140,739
Joe Kopsick (write-in) Ind. 6 0.00%
2014[11] Nov. 4 Mark Pocan (inc) Democratic 224,920 68.40% Peter Theron Rep. 103,619 31.51% 328,847 121,301
2016[12] Nov. 8 Mark Pocan (inc) Democratic 273,537 68.72% Peter Theron Rep. 124,044 31.16% 398,060 149,493
2018[13] Nov. 6 Mark Pocan (inc) Democratic 309,116 97.42% Joey Wayne Reed (write-in) Rep. 29 0.01% 317,295 300,975
Rick Cruz (write-in) Ind. 8 0.00%
Bradley Jason Burt (write-in) Dem. 1 0.00%
2020[14] Nov. 3 Mark Pocan (inc) Democratic 318,523 69.67% Peter Theron Rep. 138,306 30.25% 457,205 180,217

2022 district boundaries (2022–2031)

Year Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
2022[15] Nov. 8 Mark Pocan (inc) Democratic 268,740 70.99% Erik Olsen Rep. 101,890 26.92% 378,537 166,850
Douglas Alexander Ind. 7,689 2.03%

Election results from statewide races

Election results from presidential races
Year Office Results
2000 President Al Gore 58% – George W. Bush 36%
2004 President John Kerry 62% – George W. Bush 37%
2008 President Barack Obama 69% – John McCain 30%
2012 President Barack Obama 68% – Mitt Romney 31%
2016 President Hillary Clinton 66% – Donald Trump 29%
2020 President Joe Biden 69% – Donald Trump 29%

References

  1. ^ Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov.
  2. ^ "Census profile: Congressional District 2, WI". Census Reporter.
  3. ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  4. ^ "Official Wisconsin redistricting" (PDF). [dead link]
  5. ^ Results of Fall General Election - 11/05/2002 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 2, 2002. p. 4. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  6. ^ Results of Fall General Election - 11/02/2004 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 1, 2004. p. 3. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  7. ^ Results of Fall General Election - 11/07/2006 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 5, 2006. p. 4. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  8. ^ Results of Fall General Election - 11/04/2008 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. November 25, 2008. p. 2. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  9. ^ Official summary results of the November 2, 2010 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. December 1, 2010. p. 3. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  10. ^ Canvass Results for 2012 Presidential and General Election - 11/6/2012 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. December 26, 2012. p. 2. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  11. ^ Canvass Results for 2014 General Election - 11/4/2014 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 26, 2014. p. 3. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  12. ^ Canvass Results for 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. December 22, 2016. p. 3. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  13. ^ Canvass Results for 2018 General Election - 11/6/2018 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 22, 2016. pp. 3–4. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  14. ^ Canvass Results for 2020 General Election - 11/3/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 18, 2020. p. 2. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  15. ^ Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 30, 2022. p. 3. Retrieved July 5, 2024.

42°59′05″N 89°45′04″W / 42.98472°N 89.75111°W / 42.98472; -89.75111