By Joe Murray, WRA: In a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel column, veteran political reporter Craig Gilbert hypothesized Wisconsin’s role in the 2024 elections: “What does seem certain is that Wisconsin will play the same leading role it has for most of the past 30 years: as an electoral prize, madly contested by both parties and, if the election is close enough, a potential decider.”
Gilbert is correct. Wisconsin has been and continues to be a highly competitive battleground state in presidential elections and other top-of-the-ticket races for U.S. Senate, governor and attorney general. With the 2024 presidential race already underway, political pundits expect Wisconsin to be center stage once again next year. With this in mind, here are four political dynamics to watch as the 2024 Wisconsin elections come into focus
New legislative district maps
On August 1, Wisconsin’s Supreme Court flipped from majority conservative control to majority liberal control for the first time in 15 years. Law Forward, a progressive Wisconsin law firm closely associated with Democrats, filed a legal challenge against the state’s current legislative district maps seeking new district maps before the 2024 election. State legislative maps were drawn by Republicans in 2011 and 2021.
If new maps are adopted in time for the 2024 Wisconsin elections, Democrats will have their best opportunity in 12 years to pick up state legislative seats in the November elections. Depending on how the lines are drawn, there could very well be more competitive and open legislative seats in 2024.
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