The 21st Senate district of Wisconsin is one of 33 districts in the

Wisconsin Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those ...

. Located in southeastern Wisconsin, the district comprises northeast Racine County and southwest

Milwaukee County Milwaukee County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, containing about 1 ...

. It includes the city of Franklin, the northern half of the city of Racine, the western half of the city of Greenfield, and part of southwest

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, as well as the villages of Greendale, Hales Corners,

Caledonia Caledonia (; ) was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the forested region in the central and western Scottish Highlands, particularly stretching through parts of what are now Lochaber, Badenoch, Strathspey, and possibly as ...

, Wind Point, and North Bay.

Current elected officials

Van H. Wanggaard Van H. Wanggaard (born April 19, 1952) is a Republican Party (United States), Republican politician and former law enforcement officer. He is a member of the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Racine County, Wisconsin, Racine and Kenosha Count ...

is the senator representing the 21st district. He was elected to his first term in the 2010 general election, but was removed from office in a recall election in 2012. He subsequently was returned to office in the 2014 general election, and is now in his third four-year term. Each Wisconsin State Senate district is composed of three

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

districts. The 21st Senate district comprises the 61st, 62nd, and 63rd Assembly districts. The current representatives of those districts are: * Assembly District 61: Bob Donovan (R– Greenfield) * Assembly District 62: Angelina Cruz (D– Racine) * Assembly District 63: Robert Wittke (R–

) The district, in its current boundaries, crosses three congressional districts. Most of the district is contained within Wisconsin's 1st congressional district, which is represented by U.S. Representative

Bryan Steil Bryan George Steil ( ; born March 3, 1981) is an American attorney, businessman, and Republican politician from Janesville, Wisconsin. He is a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 1st congressiona ...

. The portion of the district in Greenfield falls within

Wisconsin's 5th congressional district Wisconsin's 5th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in Wisconsin, covering most of Milwaukee's northern and western suburbs. It presently covers all of Washington County, Wisconsin, W ...

, represented by Scott L. Fitzgerald. The portion of the district in the city of Milwaukee falls within Wisconsin's 4th congressional district, represented by

Gwen Moore Gwendolynne Sophia Moore (born April 18, 1951) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2005. In 2016, Moore was elected to serve as caucus whip of the Congressional Black Caucus for the 115th United States Congre ...

. File:Boerner_Botanical_Gardens_and_Arboretum.jpeg, Boerner Botanical Gardens in Hales Corners File:Greendale,_WI_village_hall.jpg, Greendale village hall File:Wind Point Lighthouse 071104 edit2.jpg, Wind Point Lighthouse File:Frank Lloyd Wright designed house "Wingspread" in Racine, Wisconsin LCCN2011631321.jpg, Wingspread building in Wind Point File:Aerial Racine Lakefront.jpg, Aerial view of Racine lakefront with Wind Point in background File:RAM_on_Main_Street.jpg, Racine Art Museum in the Old Main Street Historic District File:6th Street in Racine.jpg, Historic Sixth Street Business District File:Root_River_Valley.JPG, Root River valley in Franklin File:Franklin_Wisconsin_City_Hall.JPG, Franklin City Hall File:Whitnall_Park_pond.jpg, Whitnall Park

Recalls

The 21st Senate district is unique in Wisconsin recall history. In 1996, it became the first district in which a Wisconsin state legislator was successfully removed from office via recall election, when Kimberly Plache defeated

George Petak George Anthony Petak Jr. (November 6, 1949 – December 24, 2024) was an American Republican politician and political consultant from Racine, Wisconsin. He served five and a half years in the Wisconsin Senate, representing Wisconsin's 21st Sen ...

. With the recall of

in 2012, it became the only Wisconsin district where there have been more than one successful recall elections.

Boundaries

As with all state senate and assembly seats, the boundaries of the 21st have moved over time during decennial

redistricting Redistricting in the United States is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries. For the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures, redistricting occurs after each ten-year census. The U.S. Constitution in Art ...

. Senators of previous eras have represented different geographic areas. The district was created after the 1850 census and reapportionment and was drawn for Winnebago County, in central Wisconsin. The inaugural holder was Coles Bashford in the 6th session of the Wisconsin Legislature, 1853. In the 19th century, the district included at various times

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

, Oconto, Shawano and Waupaca counties, and was located within the now-defunct 9th Congressional District For most of the 20th century, the district covered the city of Racine and Racine County, in southeastern Wisconsin, within the boundaries of the 1st Congressional District. In redistricting after the 2010 census, the city of Racine was mostly removed and rural and suburban portions of Kenosha County were added to the district, turning the 21st into a safe Republican seat. The 2024 redistricting again dramatically reshaped the district, removing all of Kenosha County and most of Racine County. The district instead moved back into the city of Racine, comprising the city's north side and stretching north into southwest Milwaukee County. Under the new map, it is projected to be one of the most competitive districts in the state Senate.

Past senators

The 21st senate district has had several notable officeholders, including

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

John Azor Kellogg and Wisconsin Governors Coles Bashford and Walter Samuel Goodland. A list of all previous senators from this district:

References

External links

Senate District 21
at

Wisconsin Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...

*
Senator Van H. Wanggaard (2023)
*
Senator Van H. Wanggaard (2021)
*
Senator Van H. Wanggaard (2019)
*
Senator Van H. Wanggaard (2017)
{{United States legislatures Wisconsin Senate districts Racine County, Wisconsin Milwaukee County, Wisconsin 1852 establishments in Wisconsin