Wisconsin's 39th Assembly district explained

Image Caption:2024 map defined in
2022 map defined in Johnson v. Wisconsin Elections Commission
2011 map was defined in
Chamber:Assembly
State:Wisconsin
District:39
Representative:Mark Born
Residence:Beaver Dam
Party:Republican
Incumbentsince:January 7, 2013 (years)
Population:59,796
Population Year:2020
Voting Age:47,563
Percent White:91.45
Percent Black:1.9
Percent Hispanic:3.84
Percent Asian:0.74
Percent Native American:1.67
Percent Pacific Islander:0.13
Website:Official website
Notes:Central Wisconsin

The 39th Assembly District of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly.[1] Located in central Wisconsin, the district comprises all of Green Lake and Marquette counties, along with much of western Fond du Lac County and parts of northeast Columbia County, southeast Winnebago County, and eastern Adams County. It includes the cities of Berlin, Green Lake, Markesan, Montello, Princeton, and Ripon. The district also contains Fox River National Wildlife Refuge, Summerton Bog, Ripon College and the historic Little White Schoolhouse in Ripon - the birthplace of the Republican Party.[2] The district is represented by Republican Mark Born, since January 2013.[3] After the 2024 redistricting, Born no longer resides in the new district.

The 39th Assembly district is located within Wisconsin's 13th Senate district, along with the 37th and 38th Assembly districts.[4]

History

The district was created in the 1972 redistricting act (1971 Wisc. Act 304) which first established the numbered district system, replacing the previous system which allocated districts to specific counties.[5] The 39th district was drawn with novel boundaries in central Jefferson County. Under the previous apportionment scheme, Jefferson County as a whole constituted an Assembly district. The last representative of the Jefferson County district, Byron F. Wackett, was elected in 1972 as the first representative of the 39th Assembly district.[6]

Following the 1982 court-ordered redistricting, which scrambled all State Assembly districts, the 1983 redistricting moved the 39th district to Dodge County. The district has remained in the same area since 1983, with variations in the boundaries.

Notable former representatives of the 39th district include Jeff Fitzgerald, who was the 78th Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, and was instrumental in the passage of the controversial 2011 Wisconsin Act 10, which resulted in months of protests and, eventually, several recall elections.

List of past representatives

List of representatives to the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 39th district!Member!Party!Residence!Counties represented!Term start!Term end!Ref.
District created
Byron F. WackettRep.WatertownJefferson, WalworthJanuary 1, 1973January 3, 1977[7]
Milton LormanRep.January 3, 1977
--Vacant--February 7, 1980
Randall S. KnoxRep.JeffersonFebruary 7, 1980January 3, 1983
Rep.PlattevilleGrant, RichlandJanuary 3, 1983January 7, 1985
Robert GoetschRep.Oak GroveColumbia, DodgeJanuary 7, 1985 January 1, 2001
Rep.HoriconDodgeJanuary 1, 2001January 7, 2013
Mark BornRep.Beaver DamDodge, WashingtonJanuary 7, 2013Current
Columbia, Dodge

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Assembly District 39. . February 1, 2021 .
  2. Web site: Wisconsin Legislative Districts - Assembly District 39 Boundaries . . February 1, 2021 .
  3. Web site: Representative Mark Born . . February 1, 2021.
  4. An Act ... relating to: legislative redistricting . Act . 94 . 2023 . . February 23, 2024 .
  5. The state of Wisconsin 1973 Blue Book . 1973 . State of Wisconsin . Theobald . H. Rupert . Robbins . Patricia V. . . Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau . https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1973/reference/wi.wibluebk1973.i0011.pdf . Legislature . 227–230 . February 16, 2021 .
  6. The state of Wisconsin 1975 Blue Book . State of Wisconsin . 1975 . Theobald . H. Rupert . Robbins . Patricia V. . Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau . https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1975/reference/wi.wibluebk1975.i0007.pdf . Biographies . 46–47 . February 23, 2021 .
  7. State of Wisconsin 2007-2008 Blue Book . State of Wisconsin . 2007 . Barish . Lawrence S. . Lemanski . Lynn . 978-0-9752820-2-1 . https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2007_2008/300_feature.pdf . Feature Article: Those Who Served: Wisconsin Legislators 1848  - 2007 . 138, 141, 152, 156, 181, 183 . February 23, 2021 .