if the supreme court strikes down the VRA...

[minionofmidas]

I can see them striking preclearance.

[minionofmidas]

How do you avoid a Dem seat in El Paso County? Split it three ways with one of the three being one of those listed under "Valley"?

[minionofmidas]

How do you avoid a Dem seat in El Paso County? Split it three ways with one of the three being one of those listed under "Valley"?

Split in 2 and connect with Lubbock, Odessa, Midland. Would probably never fly, though, as I don't think Reyes is hated like Doggett is.

It also wouldn't actually do the trick. At least not be certain to.



Green district here is actually (just barely) an Obama district.

So you would at the very least have to carve out the minority sections of Lubbock, in order to be able to stuff more of El Paso into that district and keep more Permian Basin in the other.

[minionofmidas]

Yes, that did it.



54.6% and 55.0% McCain 2pp, respectively. Also 55% and 65% Hispanic VAP, respectively.

And the next district after that combines Abilene, San Angelo and Laredo and anything not yet taken to the west, for 56.0% McCain and 59% Hispanic VAP. Nice.

I think I'll save this file and continue the project in the future. Not today though.

[minionofmidas]

I think I'll save this file and continue the project in the future. Not today though.

Looking forward to seeing you continue this!

Also, lol at Culberson County there, less than 3k people but split between three districts.

I wanted to split off a few hundred people for better population balance, and those two rural precincts happened to fit the bill nicely (IIRC both districts are within 150 of ideal now) and vote heavily for Obama.

[minionofmidas]

You can, if 53% McCain 2PP is safe enough for you and you disregard incumbents for the time being, condense Democrats into three districts.



Emerald Snake 54% Black, 35% Hispanic, 7% White, 91.5% Obama
West Central 47% White, 39% Hispanic, 7% Black, 53.3% McCain
Harris / Fort Bend 32% White, 32% Hispanic, 18% Asian, 16% Black, 54.1% McCain
West 37% White, 34% Hispanic, 16% Black, 11% Asian, 57.1% McCain
Galveston & points west 45% White, 33% Hispanic, 14% Black, 57.9% McCain
Pasadena 55% Hispanic, 33% White, 7% Black, 57.6% McCain
North 40% Hispanic, 37% White, 18% Black, 56.7% McCain

And that's not even using Montgomery County (MontCo district in the north sheds 27k people on its rural edges)



Golden southern Dem Pack 95% Hispanic, 5% White, 78.2% Obama
Laredo & points north 64% Hispanic, 31% White, 55.4% McCain
Corpus & points east & points south 62% Hispanic, 33% White, 54.3% McCain
Hill Country & Hidalgo green district 67% Hispanic, 31% White, 56.1% McCain
San Antonio to Lake Jackson 57% Hispanic, 36% White, 5% Black, 55.6% McCain
San Antonio to College Station 50% Hispanic, 39% White, 9% Black, 55.0% McCain
NW Bexar 46% Hispanic, 42% White, 6% Black, 55.3% McCain
E Bexar 46% Hispanic, 41% White, 9% Black, 54.1% McCain
North Austin to Temple 58% White, 25% Hispanic, 9% Black, 6% Asian, 53.2% McCain
East Austin to beyond Bryan 50% White, 36% Hispanic, 10% Black, 53.4% McCain
Central Austin & random points north 67% White, 21% Hispanic, 6% Black, 54.9% McCain
South Austin to Wichita Falls (outside the map) 68% White, 22% Hispanic, 5% Black, 53.5% McCain

And Dallas, of course, doesn't need to look much different from what the R's actually drew (though what you see in tiny detail in this map works about as well. It's a max D pack inside Dallas County - 86.0% Obama - and kinda sloppily drawn around that.)

[minionofmidas]

No comments?

I need to go cry now.

[minionofmidas]

No comments?

It's a thing of twisted evil.

I particularly like the huge district linking parts of Hidalgo with, basically, nothing in particular.