The Milwaukee Suburbs
CLICK TO ENLARGE. Graphic by Karissa Schumacker.
Ed. note: U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald’s home is in Clyman, Wisconsin, which was moved into this district in the 2011 redistricting. The district had been represented for more than 40 years by Republican Jim Sensenbrenner, who retired in 2020. Scott Fitzgerald’s brother Jeff Fitzgerald, the former Assembly Speaker and candidate for U.S. Senate, lives in Horicon, which you can see was clipped out of this district and moved to the 6th to the north.
Expert Analysis
“John McCain won the 5th Congressional District in 2008 with 57.7% of the vote; it was the only congressional district in Wisconsin that year to have voted for McCain. It was a safe Republican district prior to redistricting and has continued to be a safe Republican district afterward.”
“The biggest change to the district as a result of redistricting is that it no longer includes Ozaukee County. In addition to Washington County, most of Waukesha County, and parts of Milwaukee County, the district now includes all of Jefferson County and most of Dodge County. Ozaukee County, a county that heavily favors Republicans, was drawn out of the 5th Congressional district and was moved into the 6th Congressional district, helping to make the 6th Congressional District more reliably Republican.”
– Jonah Ralston, associate professor of political science at UW-Whitewater
“The 5th Congressional District became more rural and less suburban by dropping suburban Ozaukee County and adding part of rural Dodge County and all of rural Jefferson County. The suburban communities of Ozaukee county have trended less Republican in recent years, while Dodge County remains one of the more Republican counties in the state. This is evidenced by the election of rural Republican Scott Fitzgerald after the retirement of suburban Republican James Sensenbrenner.”
– Joe Czarnezki, a former Democratic state senator and current Milwaukee County Supervisor