Wisconsin Senate, District 21


The 21st District of the Wisconsin Senate is located in south-eastern Wisconsin, covering most of the area of Racine and Kenosha counties. Major population centers include the city of Burlington and the villages of Mount Pleasant and Caledonia in Racine County, and the villages of Pleasant Prairie and Salem Lakes in Kenosha County.

Boundaries

As with all state senate and assembly seats, the boundaries of the 21st have moved over time during decennial redistricting. Senators of previous eras have represented different geographic areas.
The district was created after the 1850 census and reapportionment and was drawn for Winnebago County, in central Wisconsin. The inaugural holder was Coles Bashford in the 6th session of the Wisconsin Legislature, 1853.
In the 19th century, the district included at various times Marathon, Oconto, Shawano and Waupaca counties, and was located within the now-defunct 9th Congressional District
For most of the 20th century, the district covered the city of Racine and Racine County, in southeastern Wisconsin, within the boundaries of the 1st Congressional District.
In redistricting after the 2010 census, the city of Racine was mostly removed and rural and suburban portions of Kenosha County were added to the district, turning the 21st into a safe Republican seat.

Recalls

The 21st Senate district is unique in Wisconsin recall history. In 1996, it became the first district in which a Wisconsin state legislator was successfully removed from office via recall election, when Kimberly Plache defeated George Petak. With the recall of Van H. Wanggaard in 2012, it became the only Wisconsin district where there have been more than one successful recall elections.

Current elected officials

The district is currently represented by Republican Van H. Wanggaard.
The area of the 21st Senate District contains three State Assembly Districts:
The district is located within Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, which is represented by U.S. Representative Bryan Steil.

Past senators

The 21st senate district has had several notable officeholders, including American Civil War General John Azor Kellogg and Wisconsin Governors Coles Bashford and Walter Samuel Goodland.
A list of all previous senators from this district: