Wisconsin Supreme Court agrees to hear case that could redraw Republican-held congressional districts

A Wisconsin Supreme Court decision could open the door to redrawing the state's congressional map ahead of the 2028 elections, potentially giving Democrats a path to pick up seats in a state where Republicans currently hold six of eight U.S. House seats.

The liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court said Friday it would hear an appeal of a case brought by a bipartisan coalition of business executives seeking to redraw the state's Republican-friendly congressional districts.

A three-judge panel dismissed the case in April. The plaintiffs are not seeking a ruling in time for the election. Instead, they are asking the state Supreme Court to send the case back to the lower court for a trial — a process that would likely not take place until 2027.

Of Wisconsin's eight U.S. House seats, Republicans hold six. Only two of those seats are considered competitive under the current map.

The Wisconsin development came the same day Louisiana enacted a new congressional map designed to help Republicans gain a seat while eliminating one of the state's two majority-Black House districts. That redistricting push followed an April 30 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down Louisiana's previous map as an illegal racial gerrymander, weakening the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Several other Republican-controlled Southern states have moved to redraw their own congressional maps in the weeks since that ruling.