In Madison, Wisconsin, the battle over the state’s congressional maps is heating up, but a resolution may not arrive before the next pivotal election. On December 12, 2025, two lawsuits challenging the current congressional district boundaries—widely seen as favoring Republicans—were the subject of back-to-back hearings at the Dane County courthouse. Both cases, now before newly assigned three-judge panels, could shape the political landscape for years to come, but court schedules suggest that any changes may not take effect until well after the 2026 midterm elections.
These lawsuits reflect the latest front in a national fight over redistricting, with high stakes for control of the U.S. House. According to the Associated Press, the hearings occurred just one day after Indiana Republicans rejected former President Donald Trump’s push to redraw their own congressional lines. Trump is reportedly leading a national campaign to protect what he sees as a fragile Republican majority in the House ahead of the 2026 elections.
The central question in Wisconsin is whether the current congressional maps, drawn by Republicans in 2011 and approved by a conservative-controlled state Supreme Court, unfairly stack the deck against Democrats. Since those maps took effect, Republicans have consistently won six of the state’s eight U.S. House seats, even though Wisconsin remains a closely divided battleground. Only two districts are considered competitive, despite the state’s near-even partisan split.
On Friday, attorneys for the Democratic plaintiffs pressed the court to act swiftly. Julie Zuckerbrod, an attorney with the Elias Law Group representing Democratic interests, argued that it was “absolutely possible” for the panel to issue a ruling by March 1, 2026—the deadline set by the Wisconsin Elections Commission to have new maps in place for the November 2026 midterms. Zuckerbrod’s push for urgency was clear: “It’s absolutely possible,” she told the three-judge panel, according to AP reporting.
But the judiciary signaled a more cautious approach. Dane County Circuit Judge Julie Genovese, a member of one of the panels, pushed back against the pressure for a rapid decision. “We’ll decide them when we can decide them,” she said, making it clear that the court would not be rushed into a ruling or a summary dismissal without full consideration of the arguments.
Attorneys representing Wisconsin’s six Republican congressmen and other conservative defendants advocated for a much slower timeline. Kevin LeRoy, counsel for the congressmen, argued that “seeking relief in time for the 2026 election would be unfair,” suggesting that a trial should not occur until March 2027. This would effectively keep the current maps in place through at least one more election cycle.
The legal process itself is noteworthy. Both cases are the first to be heard under a 2011 law, enacted by Republicans, that requires redistricting lawsuits to be decided by three-judge panels. The panels, newly assigned for these cases, represent a procedural shift intended to streamline and perhaps depoliticize redistricting litigation. The dual hearings on December 12 took place just two hours and two floors apart in the same courthouse, just blocks from the state Capitol—a testament to the intensity and complexity of the debate.
Last month, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, now controlled 4-3 by liberal justices, ordered that these redistricting lawsuits be heard first by the three-judge panels, overruling objections from Republican lawmakers. Any final decisions from the panels can be appealed to the state’s highest court, setting the stage for a potentially protracted legal battle that could stretch well into 2027.
One lawsuit, brought by the bipartisan Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy, argues that the state’s congressional maps are unconstitutional because they constitute an anti-competitive gerrymander. The lawsuit highlights that, since the maps were enacted, the median margin of victory for candidates in the eight districts has hovered around 30 percentage points—a striking figure in a state where statewide elections are often decided by razor-thin margins. Law Forward, the advocacy group backing the suit, summed up its position on its website: “In a 50-50 state, it makes no sense that 75% of Wisconsin seats in the House of Representatives are controlled by one party.”
The other lawsuit, filed on behalf of Democratic voters, contends that the maps discriminate against Democrats by packing large numbers of Democratic voters into just two districts and splitting up other Democratic-leaning areas among six Republican-favored districts. This technique, often called “packing and cracking,” is a common gerrymandering strategy. The numbers tell the story: in 2010, before the current maps were drawn, Democrats held five of Wisconsin’s eight congressional seats. Today, Republicans hold six, and only two seats are considered competitive.
Both lawsuits seek to make Wisconsin’s congressional races more reflective of the state’s electorate. The Business Leaders for Democracy suit, in particular, argues that the current system stifles competition and undermines representative democracy. The median victory margin of nearly 30 points, they say, is evidence of districts drawn not to reflect communities or foster competition, but to ensure predictable partisan outcomes.
The timeline for resolution remains uncertain. The panel hearing the business leaders’ case set a potential trial date for April 5, 2027, if the case survives a pending motion to dismiss. If the court follows the slower schedule advocated by Republicans, any changes to the maps would not take effect until after the 2026 midterms—potentially locking in the current partisan balance for at least one more cycle.
The stakes are particularly high in two districts. Democrats are eyeing the 3rd District in western Wisconsin, currently held by Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, as a top target. Van Orden won the seat in 2022 after longtime Democratic Rep. Ron Kind retired and was reelected in 2024. The other focus is the 1st District in southeastern Wisconsin, represented by Republican Bryan Steil since 2019. While the latest maps have made this district more competitive, it still leans Republican.
The current congressional maps, based on those drawn in 2010, were approved by the state Supreme Court when conservatives held a majority and were later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in March 2022. The legal and political battles over these lines have simmered ever since, with each side accusing the other of seeking partisan advantage.
As the cases wind their way through the courts, both sides are preparing for a drawn-out fight. Democrats and their allies argue that swift action is needed to restore fairness and competitiveness to Wisconsin’s elections. Republicans, meanwhile, contend that changing the rules before the 2026 midterms would be disruptive and unjust. The three-judge panels, and ultimately the Wisconsin Supreme Court, will have the final say.
For now, the outcome remains uncertain. What is clear is that the fight over Wisconsin’s congressional maps is far from over, and the stakes—for both parties and for the voters of the state—could hardly be higher.