Hartford: A Wisconsin community partitioned across two Senate Districts
From West Sumner Street in the south to North Main Street in the east, a gerrymandered district line has descended across Hartford, WI that has one part of the community walled into Senate District 13 and another held in reserve for Senate District 20. From the west, SD13 crosses the Rubicon River and occupies Innovation Way, Independence and Constitution Avenues and stretches north to envelope the local airport. From the east, SD20 occupies the city center.
Hartford, WI is a city carved up for the benefit of the Republican Party and four legislators: Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (now a Member of Congress), Rep. Mark Born, Sen. Duey Stroebel and Rep. Tim Ramthun.
For some reason, at the time these maps were drawn, residents located to the northwest of High Street were seen as having nothing in common, legislatively, with those in adjacent areas to the south and east; the people living on the west side of Main or Center Streets apparently having no shared community interests with their counterparts on the other side of the road.
Positioning yourself by the water tower at the corner of Center Street and High Street allows you to peer into SD20 from the relative gerrymandered discomfort of SD13. You are looking at homes that, according to the political cartographers, have no interests in common with others on the same street.
A new level of absurdity reveals itself when you take a wider view of the two districts and see that map makers really had to stretch to extend SD13’s protuberance into SD20 in order to make the partition happen.
That really takes some effort!
This is gerrymandering and the impact is best seen in examples like that of Hartford — communities right at the edge of these districts where strange shapes emerge as residents are drawn into one district (and out of another) for political gain.
As we approach the time for Wisconsin to draw new maps we must ensure the integrity of our communities is respected (and reflected) in non-partisan redistricting.
If you live in SD13 there is a special election for State Senator on April 6th 2021 which gives voters a chance to elect someone who supports fair maps. Melissa Winker is one such candidate. You can also let Rep. Mark Born (R-AD39) know you want to see him support fair, non-partisan redistricting.
If you live in SD20, contact Sen. Duey Stroebel (R-SD20) and Rep. Timothy Ramthun (R-AD59) to let them know you support fair maps.
This is a once in a decade opportunity to strengthen democracy in our state.
Let’s make the most of it.
