Wisconsin's 5th congressional district

Wisconsin's 5th congressional district
Wisconsin's 5th congressional district
	Wisconsin's 5th congressional district since January 3, 2013
Representative
	Scott Fitzgerald; R–Clyman
Area	1,273.23 sq mi (3,297.7 km2)
Distribution	84.79% urban; 15.21% rural;
Population (2019)	733,314
Median household; income	$77,386
Ethnicity	86% White; 6% Hispanic; 3% Asian; 3% Black; 1% other; 0% Native American;
Cook PVI	R+11

Wisconsin's 5th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in Wisconsin, covering most of Milwaukee's northern and western suburbs. It presently covers all of Washington and Jefferson counties, most of Waukesha County, and portions of Dodge, Milwaukee and Walworth counties. It is currently represented by Republican Scott Fitzgerald.

This was historically the most Republican district in Wisconsin, but as suburban areas have moved left, and rural and working class areas have moved right, the 7th and 8th have surpassed the 5th. However, this district remains solidly Republican for the time being. George W. Bush carried the district in 2004 with 63% of the vote. The 5th District was the only district in Wisconsin that John McCain won in 2008, giving 57.73% of the vote to McCain and 41.28% to Barack Obama.

Prior to the 2000 census (when Wisconsin lost a seat in Congress), the 5th District was a Milwaukee district, with vastly different boundaries and political history, represented often by Democrats or even Socialists. From 1983 to 2003, it covered the northern half of Milwaukee, including downtown, as well as some suburbs to the north. Meanwhile, most of the territory now in the 5th was part of the 9th District from 1965 to 2003.

After Wisconsin lost a district in the 2000 Census, all of Milwaukee was merged into the 4th District, while the old 9th essentially became the new 5th.

List of members representing the district[]

Member	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history	District
District created March 4, 1863					5th congressional district (purple) for the 1862 general election and every election through 1870.
Ezra Wheeler	Democratic	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865	38th	Elected in 1862. Retired.
Philetus Sawyer	Republican	March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1873	39th 40th 41st 42nd	Elected in 1864. Re-elected in 1866. Re-elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1870. Redistricted to the 6th district.
Charles A. Eldredge	Democratic	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875	43rd	Redistricted from the 4th district and re-elected in 1872. Lost renomination.	5th congressional district (purple) for the 1872 general election and every election through 1880.
Samuel D. Burchard	Democratic	March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877	44th	Elected in 1874. Lost renomination.
Edward S. Bragg	Democratic	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1883	45th 46th 47th	Elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Redistricted to the 2nd district and lost renomination.
Joseph Rankin	Democratic	March 4, 1883 – January 24, 1886	48th 49th	Elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Died.	5th congressional district (purple) for the 1882 general election and every election through 1890.
Vacant		January 24, 1886 – March 8, 1886	49th
Thomas R. Hudd	Democratic	March 8, 1886 – March 3, 1889	49th 50th	Elected to finish Rankin's term. Re-elected in 1886. Retired.
George H. Brickner	Democratic	March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895	51st 52nd 53rd	Elected in 1888. Re-elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. Retired.
George H. Brickner	Democratic	March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895	51st 52nd 53rd		5th congressional district (purple) for the 1892 general election and every election through 1900.
Samuel S. Barney	Republican	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1903	54th 55th 56th 57th	Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Retired.
William H. Stafford	Republican	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1911	58th 59th 60th 61st	Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Lost renomination.	5th congressional district (purple) for the 1902 general election and every election through 1910.
Victor L. Berger	Socialist	March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1913	62nd	Elected in 1910. Lost re-election.
William H. Stafford	Republican	March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1919	63rd 64th 65th	Elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Lost re-election.	5th congressional district (purple) for the 1912 general election and every election through 1931.
Vacant		March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1921	66th	Congress refused to seat Representative-elect Victor L. Berger.
William H. Stafford	Republican	March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1923	67th	Elected in 1920. Lost re-election.
Victor L. Berger	Socialist	March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1929	68th 69th 70th	Elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Lost re-election.
William H. Stafford	Republican	March 4, 1929 – March 3, 1933	71st 72nd	Elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Lost renomination.
Thomas O'Malley	Democratic	March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1939	73rd 74th 75th	Elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Lost re-election.	1933 – 1943 [data unknown/missing]
Lewis D. Thill	Republican	January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1943	76th 77th	Elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Lost re-election.	1933 – 1943 [data unknown/missing]
Howard J. McMurray	Democratic	January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945	78th	Elected in 1942. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.	1943 – 1953 [data unknown/missing]
Andrew Biemiller	Democratic	January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947	79th	Elected in 1944. Lost re-election.
Charles J. Kersten	Republican	January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949	80th	Elected in 1946. Lost re-election.
Andrew Biemiller	Democratic	January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951	81st	Elected in 1948. Lost re-election.
Charles J. Kersten	Republican	January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1955	82nd 83rd	Elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Lost re-election.
Charles J. Kersten	Republican	January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1955	82nd 83rd	Elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Lost re-election.	1953 – 1963 [data unknown/missing]
Henry S. Reuss	Democratic	January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1983	84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th	Elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-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. Retired.	1953 – 1963 [data unknown/missing]
					1963 – 1973 [data unknown/missing]
					1973 – 1983 [data unknown/missing]
Jim Moody	Democratic	January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993	98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd	Elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.	1983 – 1993 [data unknown/missing]
Tom Barrett	Democratic	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003	103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th	Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Retired to run for Governor of Wisconsin.	1993 – 2003 [data unknown/missing]
Jim Sensenbrenner	Republican	January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2021	108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th	Redistricted from the 9th district and re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Retired.	2003–2013
Jim Sensenbrenner	Republican	January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2021	108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th		2013–present
Scott L. Fitzgerald	Republican	January 3, 2021 – Present	117th	Elected in 2020.	2013–present

Recent election results[]

2012[]

Wisconsin 5th Congressional District 2012 ^[4]^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (Incumbent)	250,335	67.72
	Democratic	Dave Heaster	118,478	32.05
	none	Scattering	851	0.23
Total votes			369,664	100.0

2014[]

Wisconsin's 5th congressional district, 2014^[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jim Sensenbrenner (incumbent)	231,160	69.5
	Democratic	Chris Rockwood	101,190	30.4
	N/A	Write-ins	476	0.1
Total votes			332,826	100.0
	Republican hold

2016[]

Wisconsin's 5th congressional district, 2016^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	James Sensenbrenner (incumbent)	260,706	66.7
	Democratic	Khary Penebaker	114,477	29.3
	Libertarian	John Arndt	15,324	3.9
	N/A	Write-ins	337	0.1
Total votes			390,844	100.0
	Republican hold

2018[]

Wisconsin's 5th congressional district, 2018^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jim Sensenbrenner (incumbent)	225,619	61.9
	Democratic	Tom Palzewicz	138,385	38.0
	Democratic	Ramon Garcia (write-in)	1	0.0
	N/A	Write-ins	283	0.1
Total votes			364,288	100.0
	Republican hold

2020[]

Wisconsin's 5th congressional district, 2020^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Scott Fitzgerald	265,434	60.1
	Democratic	Tom Palzewicz	175,902	39.8
	Write-in		263	0.1
Total votes			441,599	100.0
	Republican hold

References[]

^ "My Congressional District".
^ "Census profile: Congressional District 5, WI".
^ "Introducing the 2021 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index". The Cook Political Report. April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
^ "Wisconsin Government Accountability Board County by County Congress Seats" (PDF). State of Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. November 21, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
^ Scatterings votes are included as they were reported to the Clerk of the House of Representatives"Election Statistics US House of Representatives - 2012". Karen Haas, Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. February 28, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
^ "Wisconsin Statewide Results General Election - November 4, 2014 Official Results". Wisconsin Secretary of State. November 4, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
^ "Wisconsin Elections Commission". Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
^ Johnson, Cheryl L. (February 28, 2019). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 2018". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
^ "Canvass Results for 2020 General Election" (PDF). Wisconsin Elections Commission. Retrieved December 2, 2020.

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

Coordinates: 43°11′59″N 88°31′53″W / 43.19972°N 88.53139°W / 43.19972; -88.53139

[1] "My Congressional District".

[2] "Census profile: Congressional District 5, WI".

[Cook-3] "Introducing the 2021 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index". The Cook Political Report. April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.

[WGAB-4] "Wisconsin Government Accountability Board County by County Congress Seats" (PDF). State of Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. November 21, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2013.

[ScatNote-5] Scatterings votes are included as they were reported to the Clerk of the House of Representatives"Election Statistics US House of Representatives - 2012". Karen Haas, Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. February 28, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.

[Generalelection-6] "Wisconsin Statewide Results General Election - November 4, 2014 Official Results". Wisconsin Secretary of State. November 4, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2015.

[General-7] "Wisconsin Elections Commission". Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.

[clerk2018-8] Johnson, Cheryl L. (February 28, 2019). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 2018". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved April 27, 2019.

[WIgenr-9] "Canvass Results for 2020 General Election" (PDF). Wisconsin Elections Commission. Retrieved December 2, 2020.

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