| Chamber | Senate |
|---|---|
| State | Wisconsin |
| District | 16 |
| Representative | Melissa Ratcliff |
| Residence | Cottage Grove |
| Party | Democratic |
| Incumbentsince | January 6, 2025 () |
| Population (2020) | 177,313 |
| Voting age | 137,206 |
| Percent white | 83.03 |
| Percent black | 5.02 |
| Percent hispanic | 6.31 |
| Percent asian | 3.85 |
| Percent native american | 1.51 |
| Percent pacific islander | 0.11 |
| Website | Official website |
| Notes | South-central Wisconsin |
The 16th Senate district of Wisconsin is one of 33 districts in the Wisconsin Senate.[1] Located in south-central Wisconsin, the district comprises much of eastern Dane County, western Jefferson County, and part of southwest Dodge County. It includes the cities of Fitchburg, Fort Atkinson, Lake Mills, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, and Waterloo, and the villages of Cottage Grove, Deerfield, and Marshall, and parts of the city of Madison and the village of McFarland. It also contains Lake Kegonsa State Park and most of Lake Koshkonong.[2]
Current elected officials
Melissa Ratcliff is the senator representing the 16th district. She was first elected in the 2024 general election. Before serving as senator, she served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2023 to 2025, representing Sun Prairie and Madison's far east side.[3]
Each Wisconsin State Senate district is composed of three Wisconsin State Assembly districts. The 16th Senate district comprises the 46th, 47th, and 48th Assembly districts. The current representatives of those districts are:[4]
- Assembly District 46: Joan Fitzgerald (D–Fort Atkinson)
- Assembly District 47: Randy Udell (D–Fitchburg)
- Assembly District 48: Andrew Hysell (D–Sun Prairie)
The district crosses two congressional districts. The portion of the district in Dodge and Jefferson counties fall within Wisconsin's 5th congressional district, which is represented by U.S. Representative Scott L. Fitzgerald. The remainder of the district, in Dane County, falls within Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district, represented by U.S. Representative Mark Pocan.[5]
Past senators
Notable past senators include:[6]
- Christopher Latham Sholes, 1848-1850, "father of the typewriter"
- John Sharpstein, 1852, Justice of the Supreme Court of California
- Nelson Dewey, 1854-1856, 1st governor of Wisconsin
- J. Allen Barber, 1856-1858, U.S. Congressman (1871-1875), 15th Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly
- George Cochrane Hazelton, 1868-1872, U.S. Congressman (1877-1883), 1st Attorney General for the District of Columbia
- John J. Blaine, 1909-1913, 24th governor of Wisconsin, United States Senator (1927-1933)
- Gaylord Nelson, 1949-1958, 35th governor of Wisconsin, United States Senator (1963-1981)
- Charles Chvala, 1985-2005, Majority Leader (1999-2002)
- Mark F. Miller, 2005-2021, Majority Leader (2012-2013)
References
- ^ "Senate District 16". Wisconsin Legislature. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Wisconsin Legislative Districts - Senate District 16 Boundaries". Wisconsin Legislature. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Senator Melissa Ratcliff". Wisconsin Legislature. 2025. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
- ^ Wisconsin Blue Book, 2011-12 edition, page 50. ISBN 978-0-9752820-1-4.
- ^ "State of Wisconsin Congressional Districts". Wisconsin Legislature. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ Wisconsin Blue Book, 1991-92 edition, Statistics: History, pages 657-666.
- ^ Heg, J. E. (ed.) (1882). "Annals of the Legislature". The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin. State of Wisconsin. Retrieved January 10, 2021.