Wisconsin's 5th congressional district

Wisconsin's 5th congressional district
District map as of 2002
Current Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (RMenomonee Falls)
Area 1,273.23 mi²
Distribution 84.79% urban, 15.21% rural
Population (2000) 670,458
Median income $58,594
Ethnicity 95.3% White, 1.3% Black, 1.5% Asian, 2.2% Hispanic, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% other
Occupation 20.2% blue collar, 66.8% white collar, 13.0% gray collar
Cook PVI R+13

Wisconsin's 5th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in Wisconsin, covering all of Ozaukee and Washington counties, almost all of Waukesha County and portions of Milwaukee and Jefferson counties. The district includes the northern Milwaukee suburbs as well as the more affluent western suburbs. It is currently represented by Republican Jim Sensenbrenner.

This is the wealthiest and most Republican district in Wisconsin. George W. Bush carried the district in 2004 with 63% of the vote. The 5th District was the only district in Wisconsin that John McCain won in 2008, giving 57.73% of the vote to McCain and 41.28% to Barack Obama.

Prior to the 2000 census (when Wisconsin lost a seat in Congress), the 5th District was a Milwaukee district, with vastly different boundaries and political history, represented often by Democrats or even Socialists. The district now numbered the 5th was primarily encompassed in Wisconsin's 9th congressional district until the abolition of the latter.


List of representatives

Representative Party Years District home Note
District created March 4, 1863
Ezra Wheeler Democratic March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865 Berlin
Philetus Sawyer Republican March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1873 Oshkosh Redistricted to 6th district
Charles Augustus Eldredge Democratic March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 Fond du Lac Redistricted from 4th district
Samuel D. Burchard Democratic March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877
Edward S. Bragg Democratic March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1883 Fond du Lac Retired
Joseph Rankin Democratic March 4, 1883-03-04 – January 24, 1886 Manitowoc Died
Vacant January 24, 1886 – March 8, 1886
Thomas R. Hudd Democratic March 8, 1886 – March 3, 1889 Green Bay
George H. Brickner Democratic March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895 Sheboygan Falls
Samuel S. Barney Republican March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1903 West Bend Retired
William H. Stafford Republican March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1911 Milwaukee Lost renomination
Victor L. Berger Socialist March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1913 Lost re-election to Stafford
William H. Stafford Republican March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1919 Milwaukee Lost re-election to Berger
Vacant March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1921 Congress refused to seat Rep.-elect Victor Berger
William H. Stafford Republican March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1923 Milwaukee Lost re-election to Berger
Victor L. Berger Socialist March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1929 Lost re-election to Stafford
William H. Stafford Republican March 4, 1929 – March 3, 1933 Milwaukee Lost renomination
Thomas O'Malley Democratic March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1939 Lost re-election
Lewis D. Thill Republican January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1943 Lost re-election
Howard J. McMurray Democratic January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945 Retired to run for U.S. Senate
Andrew Biemiller Democratic January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947 Lost re-election to Kersten
Charles J. Kersten Republican January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949 Lost re-election to Biemiller
Andrew Biemiller Democratic January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951 Lost re-election to Kersten
Charles J. Kersten Republican January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1955 Lost re-election to Reuss
Henry S. Reuss Democratic January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1983 Milwaukee Retired
Jim Moody Democratic January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993 Retired to run for U.S. Senate
Tom Barrett Democratic January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003 Milwaukee Retired to run for Governor
Jim Sensenbrenner Republican January 3, 2003 – Present Redistricted from the 9th district, Incumbent

References