Wisconsin's 71st Assembly district
American legislative district in central Wisconsin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 71st Assembly district of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly.[1] Located in central Wisconsin, the district comprises most of Portage County and part of northeast Adams County. It includes the city of Stevens Point and the villages of Amherst, Amherst Junction, Nelsonville, Plover, and Whiting. The district also contains the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point campus.[2] The district is represented by Democrat Vinnie Miresse, since January 2025.[3]
| Vinnie Miresse D–Stevens Point | |
| since January 6, 2025 (1 years) | |
1.86% Black
3.13% Hispanic
3.76% Asian
1.51% Native American
0.13% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Voting age59,463
47,994
| Wisconsin's 71st State Assembly district | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
2024 map defined in 2023 Wisc. Act 94 2022 map defined in Johnson v. Wisconsin Elections Commission 2011 map was defined in 2011 Wisc. Act 43 | |||||
| Assemblymember |
| ||||
| Demographics | 89.32% White 1.86% Black 3.13% Hispanic 3.76% Asian 1.51% Native American 0.13% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | ||||
| Population (2020) • Voting age | 59,463 47,994 | ||||
| Website | Official website | ||||
| Notes | Central Wisconsin | ||||
The 71st Assembly district is located within Wisconsin's 24th Senate district, along with the 70th and 72nd 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 71st district was drawn roughly in line with the boundaries of the former Portage County district, comprising nearly all of Portage County except for the northwest corner. Since its creation, the 71st district has always been the Assembly district for the city of Stevens Point and most of Portage County, except for the 1982 court-ordered redistricting which moved the district to Ozaukee and Sheboygan counties for the 1983–1984 term.
Matthias Mitchell public square in downtown Stevens Point
Old Main building on the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point campus
List of past representatives
| Member | Party | Residence | Counties represented | Term start | Term end | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created | ||||||
| Leonard A. Groshek | Dem. | Stevens Point | Portage | January 1, 1973 | January 1, 1979 | |
| David Helbach | Dem. | January 1, 1979 | January 3, 1983 | |||
| Donald K. Stitt | Rep. | Port Washington | Ozaukee, Sheboygan | January 3, 1983 | January 7, 1985 | |
| Stan Gruszynski | Dem. | Stevens Point | Portage, Waupaca | January 7, 1985 | January 2, 1995 | |
| Portage, Waushara | ||||||
| William Murat | Dem. | January 2, 1995 | January 4, 1999 | |||
| Julie Lassa | Dem. | Plover | January 4, 1999 | May 9, 2003 | [6] | |
| --Vacant-- | May 9, 2003 | August 11, 2003 | ||||
| Louis Molepske | Dem. | Stevens Point | August 11, 2003 | January 7, 2013 | ||
| Katrina Shankland | Dem. | Portage | January 7, 2013 | January 6, 2025 | [7] | |
| Vinnie Miresse | Dem. | Adams, Portage | January 6, 2025 | Current | [3] | |
Electoral history
| Year | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | Other primary candidates | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012[8] | Nov. 6 | Katrina Shankland | Democratic | 17,619 | 60.82% | Patrick Testin | Rep. | 11,279 | 38.94% | 28,968 | 6,340 |
|
| 2014[9] | Nov. 4 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 17,134 | 97.79% | --unopposed-- | 17,521 | 16,747 | ||||
| 2016[10] | Nov. 8 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 21,834 | 98.90% | 22,076 | 21,592 | |||||
| 2018[11] | Nov. 6 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 20,548 | 97.75% | 21,022 | 20,074 | |||||
| 2020[12] | Nov. 3 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 17,753 | 55.51% | Scott C. Soik | Rep. | 14,206 | 44.42% | 31,979 | 3,547 | |
| 2022[13] | Nov. 8 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 15,930 | 57.05% | Scott C. Soik | Rep. | 11,976 | 42.89% | 27,923 | 3,954 | |
| 2024[14] | Nov. 5 | Vinnie Miresse | Democratic | 18,631 | 53.13% | Bob Pahmeier | Rep. | 16,416 | 46.82% | 35,065 | 2,215 | |