WisGOP Attempts “Redistricting” to Protect Rep. Vos

Although Rep. Robin Vos won District 63 with 99.84% of the vote in November, 2010, his seat is vulnerable.   Why?  First, he ran unopposed.  Second, it took only 8,155 votes, or only 11% of the estimated 73,000 votes in the district to re-elect him.  He’s vulnerable.  Oh yes, he’s definitely vulnerable.

The WisGOP realizes this too, and, in a move to “protect” Vos, co-chair of the powerful Joint Finance Committee, the Republicans are attempting to “shrink” Vos’s territory.  How do we know this?  A bit of background on redistricting is in order…

When Gov. Scott Walker signed new redistricting legislation into law on August 8^th, on the eve of recall elections, he stacked the deck to favor Republicans in the 2012. 

Statewide, Gov. Walker in effect created 59 strongly Republican districts and just 40 Democrat areas.  The constitutionality of the GOP proposed map, which has cost Wisconsin taxpayers more than $350,000 awarded to Walker’s legal cronies, is being contested in Federal Court by Democrats.  The redistricting serves to “protect” U. S. Rep. Sean Duffy’s seat by making the 7^th District in NorthCentral Wisconsin more Republican, and, to “unseat” newly-elected State Sen. Bob Wirch by placing Pleasant Prairie within the more heavily Republican-leaning district of Racine.   

But the GOP’s effort to protect incumbents doesn’t end there, folks.  Analysis of Rep. Robin Vos’s district shows that Norway, Raymond and Caledonia have been carved away from his district, while Burlington has been appended to District 63, effectively removing about 12,000 voters from this area.   Remaining in Rep. Vos’s district are approximately 59,000 voters.  Of course, Rep. Vos could hope that he runs again unopposed and again captures 99.84% of the vote (11% or 6,490 of the total estimated 59,000 voters in the new area comprising District 63).

But, we have news for Rep. Vos.  He may have A.L.E.C., Tea Party & Koch resources to draw upon (and be beholding to).  We, on the other hand, have the PEOPLE needed to carry the majority of votes in this district.  We are organized.  And, we are angry at Rep. Vos.  We intend to remove him from office when his current term expires.

Proposed District 63 (lawsuit pending in Federal Court):