The Twenty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 14, 1874, to March 12, 1874, in regular session.

This was the first session since 1856 in which the Democratic Party held control of the Assembly.

Senators representing even-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term.

Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 5, 1872.

[1] The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Democrat William Robert Taylor, of Dane County, serving the first year of a two-year term, having won election in the 1873 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.