| State: | Wisconsin |
| District Number: | 2 |
| Image Caption: | Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023 |
| Representative: | Mark Pocan |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Residence: | Vermont |
| English Area: | 3,511.41 |
| Percent Urban: | 75.65 |
| Percent Rural: | 24.35 |
| Population: | 743,974 |
| Population Year: | 2022 |
| Median Income: | $82,271[1] |
| Ethnicity Ref: | [2] |
| Percent White: | 79.3 |
| Percent Black: | 4.2 |
| Percent Asian: | 5.0 |
| Percent More Than One Race: | 4.0 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 6.9 |
| Percent Other Race: | 0.7 |
| Cpvi: | D+19[3] |
Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in southern Wisconsin, covering Dane County, Iowa County, Lafayette County, Sauk County and Green County, as well as portions of Richland County and Rock County.[4] The district includes Madison, the state's capital, its suburbs and the surrounding areas. The district also includes the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus, and like many districts of this era anchored by a college town, the district is overwhelmingly Democratic.
The district is currently represented by Democrat Mark Pocan, who succeeded current Senator Tammy Baldwin in 2013.
Since the late 1990s, the district has tilted more and more Democratic, due to the presence of the heavily Democratic capitol city, Madison, and the increasingly Democratic suburbs and exurbs surrounding the city - the fastest growing region in the state. The 2002 court-ordered redistricting also accelerated this trend by removing several of the more Republican-leaning areas of the district into the 3rd congressional district. Since the implementation of that map, only the Milwaukee-based 4th district is more Democratic. John Kerry won the district in 2004 with 62% of the vote. Barack Obama also swept the district in 2008 with 69% of the vote to John McCain's 30%. Donald Trump received the lowest percentage vote of a major party presidential candidate in the district in the 21st century, with 29% in both 2016 and 2020, to Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden’s 66% and 69% respectively.
| County | Seat | Population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Dane | Madison | 563,951 | |
| 45 | Green | Monroe | 36,988 | |
| 49 | Iowa | Dodgeville | 23,756 | |
| 65 | Lafayette | Darlington | 16,784 | |
| 101 | Rock | Janesville | 164,381 | |
| 111 | Sauk | Baraboo | 65,697 |
Belleville, Black Earth, Blue Mounds, Brooklyn, Cambridge, Cottage Grove, Cross Plains, Dane, Deerfield, DeForest, Fitchburg, Madison, Maple Bluff, Marshall, Mazomanie, McFarland, Middleton, Monona, Mount Horeb, Oregon, Rockdale, Shorewood Hills, Stoughton, Sun Prairie (city), Verona, Waunakee, and Windsor.
Albany, Brodhead, Browntown, Monroe, Monticello, and New Glarus.
Arena, Avoca, Barneveld, Cobb, Dodgeville, Highland, Hollandale, Linden, Mineral Point, Muscoda (Iowa County side), Rewey, and Ridgeway.
Argyle, Belmont, Benton, Blanchardville, Darlington, Gratiot, Shullsburg, and South Wayne.
Edgerton, Evansville, Footville, and Orfordville.
Baraboo, Lake Delton, Loganville, Merrimac, North Freedom, Plain, Prairie du Sac, Reedsburg, Rock Springs, Spring Green, Sauk City, and Wisconsin Dells (Sauk County section).
| Member | Party | Date | Cong ress | style=min-width:15em | Electoral history | District | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District established June 9, 1848 | ||||||||
| align=left | Mason C. Darling | Democratic | nowrap | June 9, 1848 – March 3, 1849 | Elected to the short term in 1848. Retired. | Brown, Calumet, Chippewa, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge,, Grant, Iowa, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marquette, Portage, Richland, Sauk, Sheboygan, Washington, & Winnebago counties | ||
| align=left | Orsamus Cole | Whig | nowrap | March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851 | Elected to the regular term in 1848. Lost re-election. | Adams, Chippewa, Crawford, Dane, Grant, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Portage, Richland, Rock, Sauk, counties (Buffalo, Burnett, Douglas, Dunn,, Jackson, Juneau,, Marathon, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Trempealeau, & Wood counties created from this territory during the 1850s) | ||
| align=left | Ben C. Eastman | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1855 | Elected in 1850. Re-elected in 1852. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Cadwallader C. Washburn | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1861 | Elected in 1854. Re-elected in 1856. Re-elected in 1858. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Luther Hanchett | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1861 – November 24, 1862 | Elected in 1860. Died. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | November 24, 1862 – January 26, 1863 | ||||||
| align=left | Walter D. McIndoe | Republican | nowrap | January 26, 1863 – March 3, 1863 | Elected to finish Hanchett's term. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Ithamar Sloan | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1867 | Elected in 1862. Re-elected in 1864. Retired. | Columbia, Dane, Jefferson, & Rock counties | ||
| align=left | Benjamin F. Hopkins | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1867 – January 1, 1870 | Elected in 1866. Re-elected in 1868. Died. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | January 1, 1870 – February 23, 1870 | ||||||
| align=left | David Atwood | Republican | nowrap | February 23, 1870 – March 3, 1871 | Elected to finish Hopkins's term. Retired. | |||
Gerry Whiting Hazelton | Republican | March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1875 | Elected in 1870. Re-elected in 1872. Retired. | |||||
| Columbia, Dane, Jefferson, & Sauk counties | ||||||||
| align=left | Lucien B. Caswell | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1883 | Elected in 1874. Re-elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Lost renomination. | |||
| align=left | Daniel H. Sumner | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885 | Elected in 1882. Retired. | Dodge,, Washington, & Waukesha counties | ||
| align=left | Edward S. Bragg | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1887 | Elected in 1884. Lost renomination. | |||
| align=left | Richard W. Guenther | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1886. Retired. | |||
Charles Barwig | Democratic | March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895 | Elected in 1888. Re-elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. Lost re-election. | |||||
| Columbia, Dane, Dodge, & Jefferson counties | ||||||||
| align=left | Edward Sauerhering | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1899 | Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Herman Dahle | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1903 | Elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Lost renomination. | |||
| align=left | Henry Cullen Adams | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1903 – July 9, 1906 | Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Died. | Adams, Columbia, Dane, Jefferson,, & Marquette counties | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | July 9, 1906 – September 4, 1906 | ||||||
| align=left | John M. Nelson | Republican | nowrap | September 4, 1906 – March 3, 1913 | Elected to finish Adams's term. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Michael E. Burke | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1917 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Lost re-election. | Columbia, Dodge, Jefferson, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, & Washington counties | ||
| align=left | Edward Voigt | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1927 | Elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Charles A. Kading | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1927 – March 3, 1933 | Elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Lost renomination. | |||
| align=left | Charles W. Henney | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935 | Elected in 1932. Lost re-election. | Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, & Waukesha counties | ||
| align=left | Harry Sauthoff | Progressive | nowrap | January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1939 | Elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Charles Hawks Jr. | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1941 | Elected in 1938. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Harry Sauthoff | Progressive | nowrap | January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1945 | Elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Robert Kirkland Henry | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1945 – November 20, 1946 | Elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946 but died before next term began. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | November 20, 1946 – April 22, 1947 | ||||||
| align=left | Glenn Robert Davis | Republican | nowrap | April 22, 1947 – January 3, 1957 | Elected to finish Henry's term. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Retired to run for U.S. senator. | |||
| align=left | Donald Edgar Tewes | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1959 | Elected in 1956. Lost re-election. | |||
Robert Kastenmeier | Democratic | January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1991 | 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. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Lost re-election. | |||||
| Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, & Jefferson counties | ||||||||
| Columbia, Dane, Iowa, Lafayette, & Sauk counties & | ||||||||
| Columbia, Dane, Iowa, Lafayette, & Sauk counties & | ||||||||
Scott Klug | Republican | January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1999 | Elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Retired. | |||||
| 1993–2003 | ||||||||
Tammy Baldwin | Democratic | January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2013 | Elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Retired to run for U.S. senator. | |||||
| 2003–2013 | ||||||||
Mark Pocan | Democratic | January 3, 2013 – present | Elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. | 2013–2023 | ||||
| 2023–present | ||||||||
| Year | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002[5] | Democratic | 163,313 | 66.01% | Rep. | 83,694 | 33.83% | 247,410 | 79,619 | ||||
| 2004[6] | Democratic | 251,637 | 63.27% | Rep. | 145,810 | 36.66% | 397,724 | 105,827 | ||||
| 2006[7] | Democratic | 191,414 | 62.82% | Rep. | 113,015 | 37.09% | 304,688 | 78,399 | ||||
| 2008[8] | Democratic | 277,914 | 69.33% | Rep. | 122,513 | 30.56% | 400,841 | 155,401 | ||||
| 2010[9] | Democratic | 191,164 | 61.77% | Rep. | 118,099 | 38.16% | 309,460 | 73,065 | ||||
| Year | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012[10] | Democratic | 265,422 | 67.90% | Rep. | 124,683 | 31.90% | 390,898 | 140,739 | ||||
| Ind. | 6 | 0.00% | ||||||||||
| 2014[11] | Democratic | 224,920 | 68.40% | Rep. | 103,619 | 31.51% | 328,847 | 121,301 | ||||
| 2016[12] | Democratic | 273,537 | 68.72% | Rep. | 124,044 | 31.16% | 398,060 | 149,493 | ||||
| 2018[13] | Democratic | 309,116 | 97.42% | Rep. | 29 | 0.01% | 317,295 | 300,975 | ||||
| Ind. | 8 | 0.00% | ||||||||||
| Dem. | 1 | 0.00% | ||||||||||
| 2020[14] | Democratic | 318,523 | 69.67% | Rep. | 138,306 | 30.25% | 457,205 | 180,217 | ||||
| Year | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022[15] | Democratic | 268,740 | 70.99% | Rep. | 101,890 | 26.92% | 378,537 | 166,850 | |||
| Ind. | 7,689 | 2.03% | |||||||||
| Election results from presidential races | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Results | |
| 2000 | President | Al Gore 58% – George W. Bush 36% | |
| 2004 | President | John Kerry 62% – George W. Bush 37% | |
| 2008 | President | Barack Obama 69% – John McCain 30% | |
| 2012 | President | Barack Obama 68% – Mitt Romney 31% | |
| 2016 | President | Hillary Clinton 66% – Donald Trump 29% | |
| 2020 | President | Joe Biden 69% – Donald Trump 29% | |