Kenosha County's congressional district boundaries could change before the next election cycle after Wisconsin Gov.-elect David Crowley pledged to sign legislation redrawing the state's congressional map.
Crowley made the commitment during an interview with WISN-TV, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"When it comes down to this, if the bill was to reach my desk, I will sign it," Crowley said, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.
The pledge gives Democrats another potential path to changing Wisconsin's congressional boundaries. Before the Nov. 3 election, Republicans controlled both chambers of the state Legislature. Democrats have since won majorities in the Assembly and Senate, along with the governor's office, giving the party unified control of state government when the new lawmakers take office in January.
Crowley's position also differs from that of outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who told the Journal Sentinel in 2025 that redrawing congressional districts in the middle of the decade would be a mistake, the newspaper reported.
What it means for Kenosha
Kenosha County is entirely within Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, which also includes all of Racine County, most of Walworth County and portions of Rock and Milwaukee counties, according to WPR's coverage of the 2026 election.
The district changed political hands Nov. 3, when Democrat Mitchell Berman, an emergency room nurse from Racine County, defeated Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil.
Berman received 158,839 votes, or 52%, compared with 146,885 votes, or 48%, for Steil, according to NBC News' election results, which reports Associated Press data. Berman's margin was 11,954 votes. He also carried Kenosha County, receiving 52% of the vote there, according to the county breakdown published by NBC News.
The results remain subject to the official canvass and certification process. Kenosha County's election-results page says all precincts have reported and all votes have been counted, but its posted results notice describes the totals as unofficial pending completion of the County Board of Canvass.
Berman's victory was one of two congressional seats Democrats flipped in Wisconsin. Democrat Rebecca Cooke also defeated Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden in the 3rd District. The results leave Wisconsin's eight-member congressional delegation evenly divided, with four Democrats and four Republicans. Republicans held six of the state's eight seats before the election, according to WPR's congressional results coverage.
A new map could change which communities are grouped together in congressional districts, potentially affecting who represents Kenosha County in future elections.
Democrats take control of the Legislature
Democrats won an 18-15 majority in the state Senate and a 53-46 majority in the Assembly, according to preliminary results reported by Wisconsin Public Radio.
The results, combined with Crowley's victory, give Democrats control of the Legislature and governor's office for the first time since 2008, WPR reported.
The new legislative majorities take office in January. That means Democrats will have the votes to pass a congressional redistricting bill, although any proposal would still need to clear the legislative process and receive Crowley's signature.
In a statement to WPR, Senate Democratic Leader Dianne Hesselbein of Middleton said three new Democratic senators had not yet weighed in on redistricting.
"That said, Democrats are united in making sure our government is more responsive to the people, which includes ensuring our Congressional districts are not rigged and that every vote is equal in our presidential elections," Hesselbein said.
Hesselbein and Assembly Democratic Leader Greta Neubauer of Racine also told the Journal Sentinel they would consider a mid-decade redistricting effort. Neubauer did not immediately respond to WPR's request for comment.
Republican legislative leaders Rep. Tyler August, Sen. Mary Felzkowski and Sen. Julian Bradley did not respond to the Journal Sentinel's requests for comment, the newspaper reported.
Court challenges remain pending
Legislation is not the only avenue for changing Wisconsin's congressional map. Two lawsuits challenging the current districts are also before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The court heard arguments Sept. 16 in the cases, which advance different legal arguments. One alleges the map is a partisan gerrymander designed to preserve Republican control. The other argues the map protects incumbents of both parties by limiting competition.
The September arguments focused on whether the lawsuits should be allowed to proceed after lower-court panels dismissed them. Attorneys for the challengers argued the cases should move forward, while attorneys representing Republican members of Congress and the Republican-controlled Legislature disputed the claims, according to WPR's report on the arguments.
The court's consideration of the cases could provide another route to changing the map. However, the lawsuits and a potential legislative redistricting effort are separate processes.
A national redistricting fight
Wisconsin's debate is part of a broader national fight over congressional boundaries.
President Donald Trump encouraged Republican-led states to redraw their congressional maps before the 2030 census to help Republicans maintain their narrow U.S. House majority, according to the Journal Sentinel.
The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that 10 states — Alabama, California, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Utah — have changed their congressional maps since summer 2025. The organization tracks mid-decade redistricting activity between the 2020 and 2030 census cycles.
Wisconsin has not yet adopted a new congressional map. Crowley's pledge signals that Democrats are prepared to consider legislation now that they control the governor's office and both chambers of the Legislature.
Whether lawmakers will introduce a proposal, what its boundaries would look like and how it would affect Kenosha County remain to be seen.
