Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district

Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in southern Wisconsin, covering Dane County, Iowa County, Lafayette County, Sauk County and Green County, as well as portions of Richland County and Rock County.^[4] The district includes Madison, the state's capital, its suburbs and the surrounding areas. The district also includes the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus, and like many districts of this era anchored by a college town, the district is overwhelmingly Democratic.

Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative	Mark Pocan D–Vermont
Area	3,511.41 sq mi (9,094.5 km2)
Distribution	75.65% urban 24.35% rural
Population (2023)	747,345
Median household income	$82,081[1]
Ethnicity	79.3% White[2] 6.9% Hispanic 5.0% Asian 4.2% Black 4.0% Two or more races 0.7% other
Cook PVI	D+19[3]

The district is currently represented by Democrat Mark Pocan, who succeeded current Senator Tammy Baldwin in 2013.

Since the late 1990s, the district has tilted more and more Democratic, due to the presence of the heavily Democratic capital city, Madison, and the increasingly Democratic suburbs and exurbs surrounding the city—the fastest growing region in the state. The 2002 court-ordered redistricting also accelerated this trend by removing several of the more Republican-leaning areas of the district into the 3rd congressional district. Since the implementation of that map, only the Milwaukee-based 4th district is more Democratic. John Kerry won the district in 2004 with 62% of the vote. Barack Obama also swept the district in 2008 with 69% of the vote to John McCain's 30%. Donald Trump received the lowest percentage vote of a major party presidential candidate in the district in the 21st century, with 29% in both 2016 and 2020, to Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden’s 66% and 69% respectively.

Counties and municipalities within the district

#	County	Seat	Population
25	Dane	Madison	563,951
45	Green	Monroe	36,988
49	Iowa	Dodgeville	23,756
65	Lafayette	Darlington	16,784
101	Rock	Janesville	164,381
111	Sauk	Baraboo	65,697

Dane County

Belleville, Black Earth, Blue Mounds, Brooklyn, Cambridge, Cottage Grove, Cross Plains, Dane, Deerfield, DeForest, Fitchburg, Madison, Maple Bluff, Marshall, Mazomanie, McFarland, Middleton, Monona, Mount Horeb, Oregon, Rockdale, Shorewood Hills, Stoughton, Sun Prairie (city), Verona, Waunakee, and Windsor.

Green County

Albany, Brodhead, Browntown, Monroe, Monticello, and New Glarus.

Iowa County

Arena, Avoca, Barneveld, Cobb, Dodgeville, Highland, Hollandale, Linden, Mineral Point, Muscoda (Iowa County side), Rewey, and Ridgeway.

Lafayette County

Argyle, Belmont, Benton, Blanchardville, Darlington, Gratiot, Shullsburg, and South Wayne.

Rock County

Edgerton, Evansville, Footville, and Orfordville.

Sauk County

Baraboo, Lake Delton, Loganville, Merrimac, North Freedom, Plain, Prairie du Sac, Reedsburg, Rock Springs, Spring Green, Sauk City, and Wisconsin Dells (Sauk County section).

List of members representing the district

Member	Party	Date	Cong ress	Electoral history	District
District established June 9, 1848
Mason C. Darling (Fond du Lac)	Democratic	June 9, 1848 – March 3, 1849	30th	Elected to the short term in 1848. Retired.	Brown, Calumet, Chippewa, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Iowa, La Pointe, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marquette, Portage, Richland, Sauk, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Washington, & Winnebago counties
Orsamus Cole (Potosi)	Whig	March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851	31st	Elected to the regular term in 1848. Lost re-election.	Adams, Chippewa, Crawford, Dane, Grant, Green, Iowa, La Pointe, Lafayette, Portage, Richland, Rock, Sauk, & St. Croix, counties (& Bad Ax, Buffalo, Burnett, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Marathon, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Trempealeau, & Wood counties created from this territory during the 1850s)
Ben C. Eastman (Platteville)	Democratic	March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1855	32nd 33rd	Elected in 1850. Re-elected in 1852. Retired.
Cadwallader C. Washburn (La Crosse)	Republican	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1861	34th 35th 36th	Elected in 1854. Re-elected in 1856. Re-elected in 1858. Retired.
Luther Hanchett (Plover)	Republican	March 4, 1861 – November 24, 1862	37th	Elected in 1860. Died.
Vacant		November 24, 1862 – January 26, 1863
Walter D. McIndoe (Wausau)	Republican	January 26, 1863 – March 3, 1863		Elected to finish Hanchett's term. Redistricted to the 6th district.
Ithamar Sloan (Janesville)	Republican	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1867	38th 39th	Elected in 1862. Re-elected in 1864. Retired.	Columbia, Dane, Jefferson, & Rock counties
Benjamin F. Hopkins (Madison)	Republican	March 4, 1867 – January 1, 1870	40th 41st	Elected in 1866. Re-elected in 1868. Died.
Vacant		January 1, 1870 – February 23, 1870	41st
David Atwood (Madison)	Republican	February 23, 1870 – March 3, 1871		Elected to finish Hopkins's term. Retired.
Gerry Whiting Hazelton (Columbus)	Republican	March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1875	42nd 43rd	Elected in 1870. Re-elected in 1872. Retired.
					Columbia, Dane, Jefferson, & Sauk counties
Lucien B. Caswell (Fort Atkinson)	Republican	March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1883	44th 45th 46th 47th	Elected in 1874. Re-elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Lost renomination.
Daniel H. Sumner (Waukesha)	Democratic	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885	48th	Elected in 1882. Retired.	Dodge, Fond du Lac, Washington, & Waukesha counties
Edward S. Bragg (Fond du Lac)	Democratic	March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1887	49th	Elected in 1884. Lost renomination.
Richard W. Guenther (Oshkosh)	Republican	March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889	50th	Redistricted from the 6th district and re-elected in 1886. Retired.
Charles Barwig (Mayville)	Democratic	March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895	51st 52nd 53rd	Elected in 1888. Re-elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. Lost re-election.
					Columbia, Dane, Dodge, & Jefferson counties
Edward Sauerhering (Mayville)	Republican	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1899	54th 55th	Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Retired.
Herman Dahle (Mount Horeb)	Republican	March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1903	56th 57th	Elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Lost renomination.
Henry Cullen Adams (Madison)	Republican	March 4, 1903 – July 9, 1906	58th 59th	Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Died.	Adams, Columbia, Dane, Jefferson, Green Lake, & Marquette counties
Vacant		July 9, 1906 – September 4, 1906	59th
John M. Nelson (Madison)	Republican	September 4, 1906 – March 3, 1913	59th 60th 61st 62nd	Elected to finish Adams's term. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Redistricted to the 3rd district.
Michael E. Burke (Beaver Dam)	Democratic	March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1917	63rd 64th	Redistricted from the 6th district and re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Lost re-election.	Columbia, Dodge, Jefferson, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, & Washington counties
Edward Voigt (Sheboygan)	Republican	March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1927	65th 66th 67th 68th 69th	Elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Retired.
Charles A. Kading (Watertown)	Republican	March 4, 1927 – March 3, 1933	70th 71st 72nd	Elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Lost renomination.
Charles W. Henney (Portage)	Democratic	March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935	73rd	Elected in 1932. Lost re-election.	Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, & Waukesha counties
Harry Sauthoff (Madison)	Progressive	January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1939	74th 75th	Elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Lost re-election.
Charles Hawks Jr. (Horicon)	Republican	January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1941	76th	Elected in 1938. Lost re-election.
Harry Sauthoff (Madison)	Progressive	January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1945	77th 78th	Elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Lost re-election.
Robert Kirkland Henry (Jefferson)	Republican	January 3, 1945 – November 20, 1946	79th	Elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946 but died before next term began.
Vacant		November 20, 1946 – April 22, 1947	79th 80th
Glenn Robert Davis (Waukesha)	Republican	April 22, 1947 – January 3, 1957	80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th	Elected to finish Henry's term. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Retired to run for U.S. senator.
Donald Edgar Tewes (Waukesha)	Republican	January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1959	85th	Elected in 1956. Lost re-election.
Robert Kastenmeier (Sun Prairie)	Democratic	January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1991	86th 87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st	Elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Lost re-election.
					Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, & Jefferson counties
					Columbia, Dane, Iowa, Lafayette, & Sauk counties & most of Dodge County, most of Green County, & part of Fond du Lac County Dodge County Town of Beaver Dam Town of Burnett Town of Calamus Town of Chester Town of Clyman Town of Elba Town of Fox Lake Town of Herman Town of Hubbard Town of Hustisford Town of Leroy Town of Lomira Town of Lowell Town of Oak Grove Town of Portland Town of Shields Town of Theresa Town of Trenton Town of Westford Town of Williamstown Village of Brownsville Village of Clyman Village of Hustisford Village of Iron Ridge Village of Kekoskee Village of Lomira Village of Lowell Village of Reeseville Village of Theresa the part of the village of Randolph in the county City of Beaver Dam City of Fox Lake City of Horicon City of Juneau City of Mayville City of Waupun Fond du Lac County Town of Waupun City of Waupun All of Green County except Town of Albany Town of Spring Grove Village of Albany City of Brodhead
					Columbia, Dane, Iowa, Lafayette, & Sauk counties & western Dodge County, northwest Green County, eastern Richland County, parts of Adams County, parts of Juneau County, & parts of Grant County Adams County Town of Dell Prairie Town of New Haven Town of Springville Dodge County Town of Beaver Dam Town of Calamus Town of Clyman Town of Elba Town of Emmet Town of Fox Lake Town of Hustisford Town of Lowell Town of Oak Grove Town of Portland Town of Shields Town of Trenton Town of Westford Village of Clyman Village of Hustisford Village of Lowell Village of Reeseville the part of the village of Randolph in the county City of Beaver Dam City of Fox Lake City of Horicon City of Juneau Grant County Town of Hazel Green Town of Smelser the part of the village of Hazel Green in the county the part of the village of Livingston in the county the part of the village of Montfort in the county the part of the city of Cuba City in the county Green County Town of Adams Town of Jordan Town of Monroe Town of New Glarus Town of Sylvester Town of Washington Town of York Village of New Glarus the part of the village of Belleville in the county the part of the village of Brooklyn in the county City of Monroe Juneau County Town of Kildare Town of Lyndon Town of Seven Mile Creek Town of Summit Town of Wonewoc Village of Lyndon Station Village of Union Center Village of Wonewoc the part of the city of Wisconsin Dells in the county Richland County Town of Buena Vista Town of Ithaca Town of Orion Town of Westford Town of Willow Village of Lone Rock the part of the village of Cazenovia in the county
Scott Klug (Madison)	Republican	January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1999	102nd 103rd 104th 105th	Elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Retired.
					1993–2003
Tammy Baldwin (Madison)	Democratic	January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2013	106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th	Elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Retired to run for U.S. senator.
					2003–2013
Mark Pocan (Vermont)	Democratic	January 3, 2013 – present	113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th	Elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022.	2013–2023
					2023–present

Recent election results

2002 district boundaries (2002–2011)

Year	Date	Elected				Defeated				Total	Plurality
2002[5]	Nov. 5	Tammy Baldwin (inc)	Democratic	163,313	66.01%	Ron Greer	Rep.	83,694	33.83%	247,410	79,619
2004[6]	Nov. 2	Tammy Baldwin (inc)	Democratic	251,637	63.27%	Dave Magnum	Rep.	145,810	36.66%	397,724	105,827
2006[7]	Nov. 7	Tammy Baldwin (inc)	Democratic	191,414	62.82%	Dave Magnum	Rep.	113,015	37.09%	304,688	78,399
2008[8]	Nov. 4	Tammy Baldwin (inc)	Democratic	277,914	69.33%	Peter Theron	Rep.	122,513	30.56%	400,841	155,401
2010[9]	Nov. 2	Tammy Baldwin (inc)	Democratic	191,164	61.77%	Chad Lee	Rep.	118,099	38.16%	309,460	73,065

2011 district boundaries (2012–2021)

Year	Date	Elected				Defeated				Total	Plurality
2012[10]	Nov. 6	Mark Pocan	Democratic	265,422	67.90%	Chad Lee	Rep.	124,683	31.90%	390,898	140,739
						Joe Kopsick (write-in)	Ind.	6	0.00%
2014[11]	Nov. 4	Mark Pocan (inc)	Democratic	224,920	68.40%	Peter Theron	Rep.	103,619	31.51%	328,847	121,301
2016[12]	Nov. 8	Mark Pocan (inc)	Democratic	273,537	68.72%	Peter Theron	Rep.	124,044	31.16%	398,060	149,493
2018[13]	Nov. 6	Mark Pocan (inc)	Democratic	309,116	97.42%	Joey Wayne Reed (write-in)	Rep.	29	0.01%	317,295	300,975
						Rick Cruz (write-in)	Ind.	8	0.00%
						Bradley Jason Burt (write-in)	Dem.	1	0.00%
2020[14]	Nov. 3	Mark Pocan (inc)	Democratic	318,523	69.67%	Peter Theron	Rep.	138,306	30.25%	457,205	180,217

2022 district boundaries (2022–2031)

Year	Date	Elected				Defeated				Total	Plurality
2022[15]	Nov. 8	Mark Pocan (inc)	Democratic	268,740	70.99%	Erik Olsen	Rep.	101,890	26.92%	378,537	166,850
						Douglas Alexander	Ind.	7,689	2.03%

Election results from statewide races

Election results from presidential races
Year	Office	Results
2000	President	Al Gore 58% – George W. Bush 36%
2004	President	John Kerry 62% – George W. Bush 37%
2008	President	Barack Obama 69% – John McCain 30%
2012	President	Barack Obama 68% – Mitt Romney 31%
2016	President	Hillary Clinton 66% – Donald Trump 29%
2020	President	Joe Biden 69% – Donald Trump 29%

References

1. Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov.
2. "Census profile: Congressional District 2, WI". Census Reporter.
3. "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
4. "Official Wisconsin redistricting" (PDF). ^{[dead link]}
5. Results of Fall General Election - 11/05/2002 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 2, 2002. p. 4. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
6. Results of Fall General Election - 11/02/2004 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 1, 2004. p. 3. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
7. Results of Fall General Election - 11/07/2006 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 5, 2006. p. 4. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
8. Results of Fall General Election - 11/04/2008 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. November 25, 2008. p. 2. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
9. Official summary results of the November 2, 2010 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. December 1, 2010. p. 3. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
10. Canvass Results for 2012 Presidential and General Election - 11/6/2012 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. December 26, 2012. p. 2. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
11. Canvass Results for 2014 General Election - 11/4/2014 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 26, 2014. p. 3. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
12. Canvass Results for 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. December 22, 2016. p. 3. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
13. Canvass Results for 2018 General Election - 11/6/2018 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 22, 2016. pp. 3–4. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
14. Canvass Results for 2020 General Election - 11/3/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 18, 2020. p. 2. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
15. Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 30, 2022. p. 3. Retrieved July 5, 2024.

External links

• 2nd Congressional District of Wisconsin
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

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