2020 Nebraska Redistricting

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

https://davesredistricting.org/join/9e0a7cfe-57b4-4808-995e-b1e4b7819f78
Nebraska legislature map made using 2018 population estimates

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Nebraska is a bit of a weird state for the GOP to gerrymander.

Geography makes it hard to balance all 3 districts at about Trump + 20 without doing something really nasty. At the same time, it's hard to make a district that cracks Biden + 10.

Also important to note the GOP doesn't have full control in Nebraska because they lack a supermajority, meaning maps need "Dem" support (there's 17 registered Dems even though the legistlature is technically non-partisan).

I think the most likely map is a little change map that has a slight Dem slant thanks to favorable geography.

https://davesredistricting.org/join/726c1da6-5fe6-49ce-8138-94d38e87152a

This is what you need to do for three safe R seats efficiently distributing the vote.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Putting parts of Omaha into the same district as Lincoln is just a senseless risk on the part of the GOP. Republicans are still competitive in Omaha and last decade's Biden-won NE-02 was held by a Republican congressman, so it's not like they even have to create a Democratic vote sink. I think the parties are just a bit delusional about their ability to hang on to communities that are trending away from them.

Part of me is wanting the GOP to get its map through because of the sheer dummymander potential, the other part of me wants the state to have better districts.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

https://davesredistricting.org/join/c43fc8c3-f47a-4752-9b47-00799958dec3
I drew up a legislature map.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Interesting.  I guess Dems are holding out for a Biden +10ish NE-02 with all of Douglas?

I mean the Dem plan with all of Douglas + best Dem precincts in Sarpy is only Biden by 9. I suspect we end up with a something similar to present, with Douglas reunited - that's the dealbreaker - and wester Sarpy.

You weren't wrong.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Congressional and legislative maps passed another procedural hurdle today easily. Final passage is expected Thursday morning. Not sure why but in NE the legislature has to pass things three times before bills go to the governor.

In Nebraska there is a unicameral legislature. That's my best explanation.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Is Bacon running for Governor? It might explain why they didn't shore it up more

The reason for the odd lines in Sarpy are to include Bacon's house in NE-02, he is running for reelection. The fantasy redistricting that many imagined for Nebraska was never a realistic alternative , rural legislators were just as against it as were urban legislators.

They couldn't even make it like Biden +3 or something like that without getting ugly?

https://davesredistricting.org/join/aac0c00a-1082-44ca-9a8e-f8478215b0b3
This is what you need for a Biden+3 seat that keeps Douglas County whole.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I always try to create gerrymanders to prove my point of what the GOP is capable of doing.

And they are good gerrymanders.
Keep up the good work!