| Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district | ||
|---|---|---|
| District map as of 2002 | ||
| Current Representative | Ron Kind (D–La Crosse) | |
| Area | 13,565.50 mi² | |
| Distribution | 43.15% urban, 56.85% rural | |
| Population (2000) | 670,462 | |
| Median income | $40,006 | |
| Ethnicity | 96.6% White, 0.5% Black, 1.2% Asian, 0.9% Hispanic, 0.6% Native American, 0.2% other | |
| Occupation | 27.8% blue collar, 53.6% white collar, 18.6% gray collar | |
| Cook PVI | D+4 | |
Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district is a U.S. congressional district covering much of southwestern and western Wisconsin; it is the second-largest congressional district by area in Wisconsin.[1] The district includes the cities of La Crosse and Eau Claire and part or all of the following counties: Buffalo, Clark, Crawford, Dunn, Eau Claire, Grant, Iowa, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Lafayette, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Richland, Saint Croix, Sauk, Trempealeau, and Vernon. It borders the states of Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. Democrat Ron Kind has represented the district since 1997.
The political nature of the district is moderate with a slight lean to the left, given its combination of an overall rural and suburban character counterbalanced by two significant urban centers (Eau Claire and La Crosse) and its proximity to Minneapolis and St. Paul. John Kerry narrowly carried the district in 2004 with 51% of the vote. The district voted more Democratic in 2008, giving Barack Obama 58% of the vote and 41% to John McCain.
In the television show The West Wing, the district is represented by Earl Katzenmoyer.
| Representative | Party | Years | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| District created | March 4, 1849 | ||
| James Duane Doty | Democratic | March 4, 1849 - March 3, 1851 | |
| Independent Democrat | March 4, 1851 - March 3, 1853 | ||
| John B. Macy | Democratic | March 4, 1853 - March 3, 1855 | |
| Charles Billinghurst | Opposition | March 4, 1855 - March 3, 1857 | |
| Republican | March 4, 1855 - March 3, 1857 | ||
| Charles H. Larrabee | Democratic | March 4, 1859 - March 3, 1861 | |
| A. Scott Sloan | Republican | March 4, 1861 - March 3, 1863 | |
| Amasa Cobb | Republican | March 4, 1863 - March 3, 1871 | |
| J. Allen Barber | Republican | March 4, 1871 - March 3, 1875 | |
| Henry S. Magoon | Republican | March 4, 1875 - March 3, 1877 | |
| George Cochrane Hazelton | Republican | March 4, 1877 - March 3, 1883 | |
| Burr W. Jones | Democratic | March 4, 1883 - March 3, 1885 | |
| Robert M. La Follette, Sr. | Republican | March 4, 1885 - March 3, 1891 | |
| Allen R. Bushnell | Democratic | March 4, 1891 - March 3 1893 | |
| Joseph W. Babcock | Republican | March 4, 1893 - March 3, 1907 | |
| James William Murphy | Democratic | March 4, 1907 - March 3, 1909 | |
| Arthur W. Kopp | Republican | March 4, 1909 - March 3, 1913 | |
| John M. Nelson | Republican | March 4, 1913 - March 3, 1919 | Redistricted from the 2nd district |
| James G. Monahan | Republican | March 4, 1919 - March 3, 1921 | |
| John M. Nelson | Republican | March 4, 1921 - March 3, 1933 | |
| Gardner R. Withrow | Republican | March 4, 1933 - January 3, 1935 | Redistricted from the 7th district |
| Progressive | January 3, 1935 - January 3, 1939 | ||
| Harry W. Griswold | Republican | January 3, 1939 - July 4, 1939 | Died |
| Vacant | July 4, 1939 - January 3, 1941 | ||
| William H. Stevenson | Republican | January 3, 1941 - January 3, 1949 | |
| Gardner R. Withrow | Republican | January 3, 1949 - January 3, 1961 | |
| Vernon Wallace Thomson | Republican | January 3, 1961 - December 31, 1974 | |
| Vacant | December 31, 1974 - January 3, 1975 | ||
| Alvin Baldus | Democratic | January 3, 1975 - January 3, 1981 | |
| Steve Gunderson | Republican | January 3, 1981 - January 3, 1997 | |
| Ron Kind | Democratic | January 3, 1997 - Present | Incumbent |
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