BY MIKE WARREN
EDITOR
MARSHFIELD – For just the third time under the modern-day system – and the first time in a decade – the city of Marshfield now sits entirely in one Assembly district.

Gov. Tony Evers on Feb. 19 signed 2023 Wisconsin Act 94, which adopts new legislative maps effective immediately, and which are now in place ahead of this fall’s elections.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court previously ruled Wisconsin’s legislative maps were unconstitutional.

Under the new maps, the city of Marshfield shifts into a realigned 86th Assembly District, which covers portions of Wood, Portage and Marathon counties.

In Wood County, the 86th now covers the cities of Marshfield and Pittsville, the villages of Arpin, Auburndale, Hewitt, Rudolph and Vesper, and the towns of Arpin, Auburndale, Cameron, Cary, Hansen, Lincoln, Marshfield, Milladore, Richfield, Rock, Rudolph, Sherry, Sigel and Wood.

In Marathon County, the villages of Edgar, Fenwood, Marathon City, Spencer and Stratford now find themselves entirely in the new 86th, along with the towns of Bergen, Cassel, Cleveland, Day, Eau Pleine, Emmet, Green Valley, Marathon, McMillan, Rib Falls, Spencer and Wien, and a portion of Stettin.

Parts of Portage County which now find themselves in the realigned 86th are the village of Junction City, and the towns of Carson and Eau Pleine.

The entire village of Milladore – which falls in parts of Wood and Portage counties – is also now in the new 86th Assembly district.

Since 2013, the city of Marshfield has been split among two Assembly districts – the 86th and the 69th. Rep. John Spiros (R-Marshfield) has represented the 86th district since then. Bob Kulp was the 69th district representative from December 2013 through 2020. Rep. Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield) has represented the lion’s share of Marshfield since January 2021.

Under the new maps, Rozar and Spiros would have to face each other in a Republican Primary Aug. 13 should they both decide to run for the 86th district seat. Rozar told Hub City Times Feb. 26 she has decided to run, in a district she says is the 86th in name only.

“Forty-eight percent of the new 86th Assembly District is part of my old 69th Assembly District,” Rozar noted. “Around six percent is ‘Jimmy Boy’ (James) Edming’s (former 87th Assembly District). But he took that six percent from me two years ago,” said Rozar. “So, two years ago, I had Edgar and that six percent that now has been put back into the 86th Assembly District. About twenty-one percent of this district is Representative (Nancy) VanderMeer’s because she had that whole central part of Wood County. Twenty-five percent of the new 86th Assembly District is Representative Spiros’s. So I looked at that and I thought, ‘These are my people,’ and I decided to run in the 86th Assembly District,” Rozar added.

When the modern-era, 99-seat Assembly was established following the 1970 Census, Marshfield was placed into the 70th district, although for one term – 1983-85 – the area was known as the 60th Assembly District. In 1986, the region reverted back to the 70th district, where it stayed until 2013, when redistricting split the city into the most recent versions of the 69th and 86th districts.