Dave's Redistricting App

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I wouldn't consider section 1 to apply either. Anyway as I pointed out a Hispanic-majority district might actually benefit the Democrats and DeGette shouldn't have any real difficulty winning the primary in a Hispanic ~50% seat, so it is a possibility.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

You know the sad thing about Georgia is it's quite easy to draw the new district as an R+25 and not affect the other districts much. That's probably what will happen too, I bet the new seat will run across Cherokee, Forsyth and Hall counties with also part of northern Fulton. One of the worst parts of the country, ugh.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Something I just noticed, South Carolina is about 30% black, so with 7 districts proportionally that would require another majority black seat. Will the Justice Department force one?

Georgia is too easy for the Republicans, just draw a new Republican seat in metro Atlanta and a majority black seat downstate, thus removing Marshall and Barrow.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I've also played around with Illinois to see who the loser will be. I think Schock and Shimkus end up in the same seat. Also shoring up Halvorson and Foster isn't too hard (especially Foster, just swap that swath of rural counties on the western tail of his district for Rockford.)

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Here's my Illinois map then:

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

That map would make things much nicer for McNerney, right?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Generally, people of European descent who did not make a detour through Latin America on their way to the U.S. are not considered Hispanic or Latino.

Well Ken Salazar was often spoken of as one of only two Hispanic Senators. I agree it is silly to consider him one though. Back when Patricia Madrid was running in New Mexico I also frequently heard her referred to as Hispanic though she is one of those too (true to her last name.)

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Here's the best case Maryland Senate gerrymanders for both parties:

Democrats:


Republicans:


McCain won 11 seats in the first map, 20 in the second (out of 47.) A Republican majority Maryland Senate might be impossible. I'm quite impressed I was able to draw a McCain district out of Montgomery and Howard counties too.

Currently Republicans hold 14 seats of which probably all except possibly one voted for McCain. Oddly there are two likely McCain-won seats held by the Democrats.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Uh, this is Mel Watt's current district:

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Looks like it's not possible draw a McCain State House seat in Philly after all.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I don't see the enclaves as a problem, since there is no rule the neighboring seats have to be entirely within Philly.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Critz probably could win that PA-12 seat, it's hardly a Republican seat so much as an anti-Obama one. Kerry probably got at least around 45% there.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Yep, Holden's old seat didn't even include Harrisburg (It was the old 6th district, he moved to the 17th after redistricting.)

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

That equals five Obama seats total I assume since there will be one more in Pittsburgh?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

So where does everyone see the four new seats in Texas? I ended up with one Hispanic majority one in South Texas, one in suburban Houston, and two in the metroplex, one around Ft. Worth and one in suburban Dallas. Republicans btw might have a bit of dilemma in Houston and the metroplex where drawing the new seat safe GOP might force minorities into another one and endanger it. Actually the seat I drew in suburban Dallas was still only 48% white though with Hispanic turnout so low it probably would elect a Republican.

Also Chet Edwards might be able to breathe a sigh of relief, the new district should push the Dallas suburbs out of his.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Tom DeLay already tried that loophole with heavily Republican districts with non-voting Hispanics, and it got shot down by a federal court, hence why Ciro Rodriguez is back in Congress. Safe to say the Obama DOJ won't be more lenient.

Really it would take a rather vile gerrymander not to draw at least one new district in South Texas that is supermajority Hispanic.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I managed to draw a 60% white district in Minnesota. Someone do better. This district is a real work of art by the way, it goes out from the Twin Cities the Red Lake Reservation and the precincts in Rochester with high black populations to the heavily Native precincts in Duluth.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The new seat I drew was just Cameron County plus a strip into Hidalgo County.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Nope. The 27th kept Nueces County and is still 64% Hispanic.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It is possible, btw, to draw a majority-minority CD in Wisconsin. It looks hideous, though, because the Milwaukee ghettos have to be connected via very thin strips with high-minority areas of Racine and Kenosha.

I tried to get a seat as low white as possible, and got one to 42% white.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Here's a map of my seat:



And yeah I bet it can be done in just Milwaukee county.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Actually I just had a similar thought to muon, what about South Carolina? 7x0.3=2.1. Blacks would be "entitled" to a second seat with one gained. Anyone drawn an SC map with two majority black districts?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

You can move it if you find that one more appropriate.

Moderator's note: I've moved it to the US House Redistricting: Virginia thread, but I've titled the relocated posts Virginia Redistricting for Incumbent Protection so readers can track their origin.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

In case Minnesota doesn't lose a seat here's my map that could cleanse us of Bachmann:



The new sixth isn't exactly a Democratic district but there is no way Bachmann could win in it as it consists of the areas in her district that currently vote against her combined with some more Democratic territory.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

That'd be a VRA violation, yes.