Wisconsin's 44th 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:44
Representative:Sue S. Conley
Residence:Janesville
Party:Democratic
Incumbentsince:January 4, 2021 (years)
Population:59,756
Population Year:2020
Voting Age:46,560
Percent White:87.03
Percent Black:3.41
Percent Hispanic:5.3
Percent Asian:1.78
Percent Native American:1.97
Percent Pacific Islander:0.14
Website:Official website
Notes:Janesville, Wisconsin

The 44th Assembly District of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly.[1] Located in southern Wisconsin, the district comprises areas of central Rock County, including most of the city of Janesville and the neighboring village of Footville. It contains the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater at Rock County campus, the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport, and the main campus of Blackhawk Technical College.[2] The district is represented by Democrat Sue Conley, since January 2021.[3]

The 44th Assembly district is located within Wisconsin's 15th Senate district, along with the 43rd and 45th 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 44th district was drawn with novel boundaries, taking the western half of Walworth County - which had been a single-district county in the previous scheme - and part of eastern Rock County, from what had been parts of the 1st and 3rd Rock County districts. The only incumbent representative of the three divided districts who lived in the newly drawn 44th district was Republican Clarence J. Wilger, of the Walworth District. Wilger sought election in the new district, but was defeated in the 1972 Republican primary.[6]

Following the 1982 court-ordered redistricting, which scrambled all State Assembly districts, the 1983 redistricting (1983 Wisc. Act 29) moved the 44th district to its present location, based in the city of Janesville and neighboring towns. The district's boundaries have shrunk further into the city as the population has grown relative to surrounding areas, the 2002 redistricting was the first to put the boundaries of the district entirely within the city of Janesville.

List of past representatives

List of representatives to the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 44th district!Member!Party!Residence!Counties represented!Term start!Term end!Ref.
District created
Delmar DeLongRep.ClintonRock, WalworthJanuary 1, 1973 January 3, 1983
Mark D. LewisDem.
Wayne W. WoodDem.JanesvilleRockJanuary 7, 1985 January 3, 2005
Dem.JanesvilleJanuary 3, 2005January 3, 2011
Joe KnilansRep.JanesvilleJanuary 3, 2011January 7, 2013
Debra KolsteDem.JanesvilleJanuary 7, 2013January 4, 2021[7]
Sue S. ConleyDem.JanesvilleJanuary 4, 2021Current

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Assembly District 44 . . February 2, 2021 .
  2. Web site: Wisconsin Legislative Districts - Assembly District 44 Boundaries . . February 2, 2021 .
  3. Web site: Representative Sue S. Conley . . February 2, 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 . January 31, 2021 .
  6. The state of Wisconsin 1973 Blue Book . State of Wisconsin . 1973 . Theobald . H. Rupert . Robbins . Patricia V. . Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau . https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1973/reference/wi.wibluebk1973.i0016.pdf . Elections . 808, 827 . February 24, 2021 .
  7. Web site: Representative Debra Kolste . . February 2, 2021 .