# Wisconsin's 71st Assembly district

The 71st Assembly district of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Located in central Wisconsin, the district comprises most of Portage County and part of northeast Adams County. It includes the city of Stevens Point and the villages of Amherst, Amherst Junction, Nelsonville, Plover, and Whiting. The district also contains the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point campus. The district is represented by Democrat Vinnie Miresse, since January 2025.
The 71st Assembly district is located within Wisconsin's 24th Senate district, along with the 70th and 72nd Assembly districts.

## History

The district was created in the 1972 redistricting act (1971 Wisc. Act 304) which first established the numbered district system, replacing the previous system which allocated districts to specific counties. The 71st district was drawn roughly in line with the boundaries of the former Portage County district, comprising nearly all of Portage County except for the northwest corner. Since its creation, the 71st district has always been the Assembly district for the city of Stevens Point and most of Portage County, except for the 1982 court-ordered redistricting which moved the district to Ozaukee and Sheboygan counties for the 1983–1984 term.
* Matthias Mitchell public square in downtown Stevens Point
* Old Main building on the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point campus
* Amherst, Wisconsin

## List of past representatives

List of representatives to the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 71st district :
| Member | Party | Residence | Counties represented | Term start | Term end |
| District created |||||||
| Leonard A. Groshek | Dem. | Stevens Point | Portage | January 1, 1973 | January 1, 1979 |
| David Helbach | Dem. | Stevens Point | Portage | January 1, 1979 | January 3, 1983 |
| Donald K. Stitt | Rep. | Port Washington | Ozaukee, Sheboygan | January 3, 1983 | January 7, 1985 |
| Stan Gruszynski | Dem. | Stevens Point | Portage, Waupaca | January 7, 1985 | January 2, 1995 |
| Stan Gruszynski | Dem. | Stevens Point | Portage, Waushara | January 7, 1985 | January 2, 1995 |
| William Murat | Dem. | Stevens Point | Portage, Waushara | January 2, 1995 | January 4, 1999 |
| Julie Lassa | Dem. | Plover | Portage, Waushara | January 4, 1999 | May 9, 2003 |
| --Vacant-- | --Vacant-- | --Vacant-- | Portage, Waushara | May 9, 2003 | August 11, 2003 |
| Louis Molepske | Dem. | Stevens Point | Portage, Waushara | August 11, 2003 | January 7, 2013 |
| Katrina Shankland | Dem. | Stevens Point | Portage | January 7, 2013 | January 6, 2025 |
| Vinnie Miresse | Dem. | Stevens Point | Adams, Portage | January 6, 2025 | Current |

## Electoral history

| Year | Date | Elected | Elected | Elected | Elected | Defeated | Defeated | Defeated | Defeated | Total | Plurality | Other primary candidates |
| 2012 | Nov. 6 | Katrina Shankland | Democratic | 17,619 | 60.82% | Patrick Testin | Rep. | 11,279 | 38.94% | 28,968 | 6,340 | Corey D. Ladick (Dem.)Jeri McGinkey (Dem.)Andrew Logan Beveridge (Dem.)David J. Verhage (Dem.)Tom Mallison (Dem.)Robert L. Steinke (Dem.)Laura Hauser-Menting (Dem.)Hans Schmid (Dem.) |
| 2014 | Nov. 4 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 17,134 | 97.79% | --unopposed-- | --unopposed-- | --unopposed-- | --unopposed-- | 17,521 | 16,747 |
| 2016 | Nov. 8 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 21,834 | 98.90% | --unopposed-- | --unopposed-- | --unopposed-- | --unopposed-- | 22,076 | 21,592 |
| 2018 | Nov. 6 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 20,548 | 97.75% | --unopposed-- | --unopposed-- | --unopposed-- | --unopposed-- | 21,022 | 20,074 |
| 2020 | Nov. 3 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 17,753 | 55.51% | Scott C. Soik | Rep. | 14,206 | 44.42% | 31,979 | 3,547 |
| 2022 | Nov. 8 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 15,930 | 57.05% | Scott C. Soik | Rep. | 11,976 | 42.89% | 27,923 | 3,954 |
| 2024 | Nov. 5 | Vinnie Miresse | Democratic | 18,631 | 53.13% | Bob Pahmeier | Rep. | 16,416 | 46.82% | 35,065 | 2,215 |