Latest news with #EliasLawGroup
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Liberal law firm again asks Wisconsin Supreme Court to reconsider congressional maps
A Democratic law firm has again asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to reconsider the state's congressional boundaries ahead of the 2026 midterms, a request the court has previously rejected. Elias Law Group, chaired by Marc Elias, who has led previous voting access lawsuits in Wisconsin and across the country, filed a petition with the high court May 8 on behalf of Wisconsin voters. "Wisconsin's current congressional map has unfairly rewarded Republicans with a significant electoral advantage and will continue to do so for the remainder of the decade," Elias Law Group partner Abha Khanna said in a release. The firm argues the congressional map was drawn based on a "least change" principle the court abandoned when it struck down the state's legislative maps in December 2023. That concept refers to favoring maps that minimize changes to existing boundary lines. New maps for the state Assembly and Senate greatly reduced the GOP advantage in the Capitol and allowed Democrats to pick up several seats in November, though they fell short of flipping the state Legislature. Elias Law Group filed a similar petition last year, asking the court to reconsider the U.S. House boundaries, but the court rejected the last-minute push. More: Why does Wisconsin have new legislative maps, but not new congressional ones? Wisconsin has only two competitive districts, held by U.S. Reps. Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden, both Republicans. There are six Republicans and two Democrats in Wisconsin's House delegation. The state's current congressional lines were drawn by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. The state Supreme Court approved his set of maps in 2022 because it made the least changes compared to ones submitted by Republicans and others. In a statement, Republican Party of Wisconsin chairman Brain Schimming called the new lawsuit a "desperate attempt by far-left Democrats who have shown time and time again that they can't win without rigged maps." The latest petition now goes before the Supreme Court's liberal majority, following the election of liberal Judge Susan Crawford April 1. She takes office on Aug. 1. Crawford's win allowed the liberal faction to maintain the majority it gained in 2023, with the election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz. During the campaign, Republicans heavily criticized Crawford after she attended a virtual meeting with donors, billed as a "Chance to put two more House seats in play for 2026.' Crawford's campaign said she only appeared on the call to introduce herself and she has not publicly or privately commented on the state's congressional maps. More: Supreme Court race puts spotlight on congressional maps as GOP files complaint against Crawford "Told you," Van Orden responded in a short tweet on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. U.S. Rep. Tony Wied, a newly elected Republican representing northeastern Wisconsin in Congress, suggested Wisconsinites would vote for Republicans' "common sense agenda" in 2026 regardless of whether the state has new maps. "The 'party of democracy' can't win on their own policies so they need to change the playing field," Wied posted on X. In a statement, National Democratic Redistricting Committee executive director Marina Jenkins said Wisconsin voters "want and deserve a fair map." "Wisconsinites are rightly fed up with being forced to vote on an egregiously gerrymandered congressional map that has not accurately reflected the competitive nature of their purple state for over a decade," Jenkins said. (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Law firm asks Supreme Court to reconsider Wisconsin congressional maps
Wall Street Journal
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Wisconsin's Plan for a Judicial Coup
Democrats went all-in to retain control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court this year and here comes the payoff. Progressive law firms recently filed two suits asking the Justices to overturn the state's Congressional maps. If they succeed, Democrats will get a chance at redrawing districts to favor their candidates. According to the lawsuit brought by the Elias Law Group, the current map 'impermissibly disadvantages voters based on their political views and partisan affiliation, systematically disfavoring Democrats because they are Democrats.' The Wisconsin Congressional delegation is currently balanced 6-2, a tilt the left claims is outrageous for a swing state and therefore evidence of a Republican gerrymander. The lawsuit says the current maps are guilty of 'packing the substantial share of Wisconsin's Democrats into just two congressional districts.' But Wisconsin's Democratic voters are concentrated in two areas in real life: progressive Madison and Milwaukee. That makes it difficult for the maps to be otherwise without drawing an Illinois-style map that looks like a game of Chutes and Ladders. Democrats want to distribute urban liberal voters through other districts to trump Republican-leaning rural and exurban voters. That scheme is at odds with Wisconsin's traditional redistricting requirements to maintain counties, municipalities and ward lines. The Wisconsin Supreme Court adopted the current Congressional districts (a map submitted by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers) in 2022 as consistent with the state constitution on these legal grounds. The court said at the time that the map 'complies with the federal Constitution and all other applicable laws.' The second lawsuit, brought by the Campaign Legal Center, nonetheless argues that the current maps violate the Wisconsin Constitution's Equal Protection Guarantee. The malapportionment they allege is a matter of one or two voters. According to the brief, it's possible to create a Congressional map 'with six districts containing 736,715 people and two districts containing 736,714 people.' Drum roll. The allegedly unconstitutional map contains districts that 'have either 736,714 people, 736,715 people, or 736,716 people.' The arguments are so thin because the Democratic plaintiffs figure the result is in the bag. Wisconsin's newest Supreme Court Justice, Susan Crawford, joined a donor call during her campaign this year that touted her election as a 'chance to put two more House seats in play for 2026.' Justice Janet Protasiewicz called state Assembly and Senate election maps 'rigged' during her election campaign, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the state's legislative maps not long after her victory created a 4-3 progressive court majority. Judicial elections in Wisconsin these days count for more than those for Governor or the Legislature.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats challenge Wisconsin congressional map, eyeing 2026 midterm elections
By Joseph Ax (Reuters) - Democrats have asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to invalidate the state's congressional map as illegally advantageous to Republicans, a move that if successful could help determine which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives after next year's midterm elections. The lawsuit was filed just five weeks after liberal Susan Crawford defeated conservative Brad Schimel for a pivotal seat on the state Supreme Court, maintaining a 4-3 left-wing majority. The race shattered U.S. spending records for a judicial race, with more than $100 million pouring into the campaign – including more than $20 million from billionaire Elon Musk and his network of political groups in support of Schimel. Under the current congressional district lines, Republicans control six of the state's eight U.S. House seats. Two of the districts are considered competitive by election analysts. Democrats would need to flip only three seats in November 2026 to retake the House majority. The Elias Law Group, headed by top Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias, filed the lawsuit on behalf of several Wisconsin voters, arguing that the map is an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. "Wisconsin's congressional map is antithetical to virtually every principle necessary to sustain a representative democracy," the complaint says. The court's liberal majority previously threw out the state's Republican-leaning legislative maps in 2023, leading to a new set of maps that helped Democrats flip 14 seats statewide in 2024. Musk said he got involved in the judicial race this year because he was worried a liberal majority on the court would redraw the state's congressional lines, endangering the Republican majority in the House. During the campaign, Republicans attacked Crawford for having met by video with a liberal group that presented the election as a chance to flip congressional seats. Crawford said she did not discuss redistricting on the call and only learned of the group's focus after the event. "Wisconsin voters deserve congressional districts that ensure all voices and viewpoints are fairly represented," Elias Law Group partner Abha Khanna said in a statement. "Unfortunately, Wisconsin's current congressional map has unfairly rewarded Republicans with a significant electoral advantage and will continue to do so for the remainder of the decade." After the lawsuit was filed, U.S. Representative Tony Wied, a Wisconsin Republican, wrote on X, "The 'party of democracy' can't win on their own policies so they need to change the playing field."
CBS News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Dems ask Wisconsin Supreme Court to toss state's congressional boundaries
Democratic voters on Thursday asked the liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court to throw out the battleground state's current congressional district boundaries after a similar request was rejected last year. Republicans currently hold six of the state's eight U.S. House seats — but only two of those districts are considered competitive. The petition seeks to have the state's congressional district lines redrawn ahead of the 2026 midterms. Filed on Wednesday and made public Thursday, the petition comes from the Elias Law Group, which represents Democratic groups and candidates and also filed last year's request. The new petition argues that the court's decision to redraw maps for state legislative districts a couple years ago has opened the door to revisiting maps for U.S. House districts. The petition asks for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take the case directly, skipping lower courts. The chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party, Brian Schimming, called the lawsuit "a desperate attempt by far-left Democrats who have shown time and time again that they can't win without rigged maps." But Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan, who criticized the state Supreme Court for not hearing the lawsuit last year, praised the new effort. "The residents of Wisconsin deserve fair maps," Pocan said in a text message. "Hopefully this will provide that." The court is controlled 4-3 by liberal justices. Democratic-backed candidate Susan Crawford won an April election to ensure the court will remain under a 4-3 liberal majority until at least 2028. Redistricting was an issue in that race after Crawford spoke at a virtual event billed as a "chance to put two more House seats in play," a move that Republicans said shows that Crawford is committed to redrawing congressional districts to benefit Democrats. Crawford denied those allegations. The court in 2023 ordered new maps for the state Legislature, saying the Republican-drawn ones were unconstitutional. The GOP-controlled Legislature, out of fear that the court would order maps even more unfavorable to Republicans, passed ones drawn by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Democrats made gains in the state Legislature in the November election and are hoping to take majority control in 2026. When ordering the state legislative maps redrawn, the Wisconsin Supreme Court said the earlier conservative-controlled court was wrong in 2021 to say that maps drawn that year should have as little change as possible from the maps that were in place at the time. The latest lawsuit argues that decision warranted replacing the congressional district maps that were drawn under the "least change" requirement. In 2010, the year before Republicans redrew the congressional maps, Democrats held five seats compared with three for Republicans. Democrats are eyeing two congressional seats for possible flipping in 2026. Western Wisconsin's 3rd District is represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who won an open seat in 2022 after longtime Democratic Rep. Ron Kind retired, and won reelection in 2024. Southeastern Wisconsin's 1st District, held by Republican Rep. Bryan Steil since 2019, was made more competitive under the latest maps but still favors Republicans. The current congressional maps in Wisconsin, drawn by Evers, were approved by the state Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court in March 2022 declined to block them from taking effect.
Associated Press
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Democrats ask Wisconsin Supreme Court to toss state's congressional boundaries
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic voters on Thursday asked the liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court to throw out the battleground state's current congressional district boundaries after a similar request was rejected last year. Republicans currently hold six of the state's eight U.S. House seats — but only two of those districts are considered competitive. The petition seeks to have the state's congressional district lines redrawn ahead of the 2026 midterms. Filed on Wednesday and made public Thursday, the petition comes from the Elias Law Group, which represents Democratic groups and candidates and also filed last year's request. The new petition argues that the court's decision to redraw maps for state legislative districts a couple years ago has opened the door to revisiting maps for U.S. House districts. The petition asks for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take the case directly, skipping lower courts. Spokespeople for the Wisconsin Republican Party and the National Republican Congressional Committee, which works to elect Republicans to Congress, had no immediate comment. But Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan, who criticized the state Supreme Court for not hearing the lawsuit last year, praised the new effort. 'The residents of Wisconsin deserve fair maps,' Pocan said in a text message. 'Hopefully this will provide that.' The court is controlled 4-3 by liberal justices. Democratic-backed candidate Susan Crawford won an April election to ensure the court will remain under a 4-3 liberal majority until at least 2028. Redistricting was an issue in that race after Crawford spoke at a virtual event billed as a 'chance to put two more House seats in play,' a move that Republicans said shows that Crawford is committed to redrawing congressional districts to benefit Democrats. Crawford denied those allegations. The court in 2023 ordered new maps for the state Legislature, saying the Republican-drawn ones were unconstitutional. The GOP-controlled Legislature, out of fear that the court would order maps even more unfavorable to Republicans, passed ones drawn by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Democrats made gains in the state Legislature in the November election and are hoping to take majority control in 2026. When ordering the state legislative maps redrawn, the Wisconsin Supreme Court said the earlier conservative-controlled court was wrong in 2021 to say that maps drawn that year should have as little change as possible from the maps that were in place at the time. The latest lawsuit argues that decision warranted replacing the congressional district maps that were drawn under the 'least change' requirement. In 2010, the year before Republicans redrew the congressional maps, Democrats held five seats compared with three for Republicans. Democrats are eyeing two congressional seats for possible flipping in 2026. Western Wisconsin's 3rd District is represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who won an open seat in 2022 after longtime Democratic Rep. Ron Kind retired, and won reelection in 2024. Southeastern Wisconsin's 1st District, held by Republican Rep. Bryan Steil since 2019, was made more competitive under the latest maps but still favors Republicans. The current congressional maps in Wisconsin, drawn by Evers, were approved by the state Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court in March 2022 declined to block them from taking effect.
