On The Issues: Common Cause Wisconsin's Jay Heck and Common Sense Wisconsin's Joe Handrick

Description

We continue our series of events focused on redistricting in Wisconsin, as Mike speaks with the leaders of two advocacy groups that have been closely following this new round of legislative map drawing.

Jay Heck has led Common Cause Wisconsin (CCW) for more than two decades. He says maps that were drawn 10 years ago were gerrymandered and gave Republicans an unfair electoral advantage. Joe Handrick is the new executive director of Common Sense Wisconsin. He helped draw the maps a decade ago and says they reflect the state’s distinct political geography.

During this conversation, we’ll talk about what the state’s new maps could look like, and whether that could impact the balance of power in Madison and the outcomes of Wisconsin’s congressional races. We’ll also discuss voting rights and election integrity.

Both Heck and Handrick have extensive backgrounds in politics and public policy. Heck was a legislative staffer for Democratic lawmakers in Madison and Washington and was part of independent candidate John Anderson’s presidential campaign in 1980. Handrick is a former Republican state lawmaker from northern Wisconsin, the former Town Chairman of Minocqua, and a former administrator for then-Governor Scott Walker.