Wisconsin's 21st Senate district


The 21st Senate district of Wisconsin is one of 33 districts in the Wisconsin Senate. Located in southeastern Wisconsin, the district comprises northeast Racine County and southwest Milwaukee County. 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, as well as the villages of Greendale, Hales Corners, Caledonia, Wind Point, and North Bay.
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Current elected officials

Van H. Wanggaard 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 districts. The 21st Senate district comprises the 61st, 62nd, and 63rd Assembly districts. The current representatives of those districts are:
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. The portion of the district in Greenfield falls within Wisconsin's 5th congressional district, 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.

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. With the recall of Van H. Wanggaard 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. 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, 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 General John Azor Kellogg and Wisconsin Governors Coles Bashford and Walter Samuel Goodland.
A list of all previous senators from this district: