A three-judge panel appointed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to review a lawsuit seeking to strike down the state’s congressional maps has ruled that such a move would amount to a partisan gerrymander and dismissed the suit.
A three-judge panel appointed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday afternoon that it lacks authority to overturn the state’s congressional district maps, dismissing a legal challenge brought by liberal groups.
The panel held that the attempt to redraw the maps, which have been in place since 2011, amounted to a partisan gerrymander aimed at benefiting Democrats. The decision leaves intact the current boundaries, under which Republicans hold six of the state’s eight U.S. House seats.
The challenge was filed by left-wing groups including the Elias Law Group and Law Forward who argued the maps violate the Wisconsin Constitution by favoring the GOP. Lawyers for the Republican-controlled Legislature and GOP members of Congress countered that the suit represented an improper mid-decade effort to shift the maps for partisan gain ahead of the 2026 elections.
The three-judge panel concluded after review that the claims did not provide grounds for judicial intervention to alter the maps. The panel’s order dismissed the case without ordering new boundaries or further proceedings on the merits of redistricting.
The ruling comes as similar redistricting battles play out in other states, with national implications for control of the U.S. House. Wisconsin’s maps were drawn following the 2010 census by the Republican-led Legislature and have withstood every prior legal challenge at both the federal and state level.
The case dismissed today is one of two brought by liberal groups seeking a partisan edge ahead of the midterm elections. A second three-judge panel is still considering the second lawsuit, which is headed to trial in 2027 and will not impact the 2026 election.
