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Friday, Mar. 3, 2023

Are Wisconsin’s urban areas heavily Democratic?


yes

Densely populated urban counties in Wisconsin are slightly more likely to vote for the Democratic candidates in presidential elections, while less dense counties lean towards voting for the Republican candidate, according to University of Wisconsin research. 

Election results since 1952 show that Wisconsin's largest city, Milwaukee, and its suburbs became more Democratic-leaning, while more recently, major gains for the Democrats have been in Dane County, home to Madison, the second largest city.  

A comparison between vote shares in 20 cities in Wisconsin and their respective counties showed the urban areas tend to lean more Democratic than more sparsely populated areas in the same county. However, some cities like Waukesha—seventh largest in Wisconsin — continue to vote largely Republican.

Analysts observe that the urban trend of Democratic gains has been roughly offset by the counter-trend of rural counties becoming more Republican.

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