Wisconsin's 8th congressional district

Wisconsin's 8th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in northeastern Wisconsin. It officially has been vacant since April 24, 2024, following the effective date of the resignation of Mike Gallagher, a Republican. Gallagher won the open seat vacated by Reid Ribble who retired in 2016. It is also one of only two congressional districts to ever elect a Catholic priest, in the case of Wisconsin’s 8th, Robert John Cornell.

The 8th District has leaned Republican throughout its history; seven Democrats have represented it since its creation, but none have served more than two terms. It became more of a swing seat in the 1990s. In 2004, Republican George W. Bush won 55 percent of the vote in the district, while in 2008, Democrat Barack Obama received 53.6 percent of the vote. The last Democrat to represent the district was Steve Kagen from 2007 to 2011. Since Kagen lost in the 2010 election, the seat has been held by Republicans, who have consistently won it by double-digit percent margins in each election to the seat since 2012 and won similarly in statewide elections. The only county in the current district to back the Democratic presidential candidate in the 2000, 2004, and 2016 elections was overwhelmingly Native American Menominee County, which has never voted Republican since its creation in 1960, and only Menominee and Door Counties voted Democratic in 2012 and 2020.

Gallagher Resignation

Gallagher announced in February 2024 that he would not run for re-election to the House of Representatives. His announcement came amid his outspoken criticism of the House Republican majority's impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. He later clarified that he would leave Congress in April.

The timing of his resignation means that his seat will remain vacant for the remaining eight months of the congressional term, as it will be too late under Wisconsin law to hold a special election before the fall general election.

Shortly after his resignation, it became public that Gallagher accepted a job at United States data analysis and defense contractor Palantir Technologies.

District Location

Since the 1930 census, the district has been centered upon Green Bay, Appleton and the Door Peninsula. Between the 1970 census and the 2010 census, the 8th moved north to encompass most counties bordering Michigan, but after 2010 it lost most of the border counties to the Seventh District, while gaining Calumet County.

Counties currently within the district include the entirety of Brown, Calumet, Door, Kewaunee, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, and Waupaca Counties, and part of Winnebago County.

Counties and municipalities within the district
Brown County
 * Allouez, Ashwaubenon, Bellevue, Denmark, De Pere, Green Bay, Hobart, Howard, Pulaski

Calumet County
 * Brillion, Chilton, Hilbert, Menasha, Potter, Sherwood, and Stockbridge.

Door County
 * Baileys Harbor, Brussels, Clay Banks, Egg Harbor, Ephraim, Forestville, Gardner, Gibraltar, Jacksonsport, Liberty Grove, Nasewaupee, Sevastopol, Sister Bay, Sturgeon Bay, Union, and Washington Island.

Kewaunee County
 * Algoma, Casco, Forestville, and Luxemburg.

Marinette County
 * Coleman, Crivitz, Marinette, Niagara, Peshtigo, Pound, and Wausaukee.

Menominee County
 * Menominee and Keshena.

Oconto County
 * Gillett, Lena, Oconto, Oconto Falls, and Suring.

Outagamie County
 * Appleton, Bear Creek, Black Creek, Combined Locks, Hortonville, Kaukauna, Kimberly, Little Chute, Nichols, Seymour, and Shiocton.

Shawano County
 * Aniwa, Birnamwood, Bonduel, Bowler, Cecil, Eland, Gresham, Mattoon, Shawano, Tigerton, and Wittenberg.

Waupaca County
 * Big Falls, Clintonville, Embarrass, Fremont, Iola, Manawa, Marion, New London, Ogdensburg, Scandinavia, Waupaca, and Weyauwega.

Winnebago County
 * Clayton (part) and Winchester.