2020 Nebraska Redistricting

[kwabbit]

There was a thread, but it's been untouched since 2011. A fresh thread seems appropriate.

To me, Nebraska's redistricting is among the more interesting possibilities. It has just 3 congressional districts, but NE-02 has become a presidential battleground.

As far as I know, Nebraska prohibits redistricting with partisan intent, but I wonder how far can this be tested. It would be easy for the GOP to create 3 Republican districts. As it stands it's 2 safe R and one tossup. But it could easily be 1 safe 2 likely R if the GOP decides to split Douglas county.

[kwabbit]

Part of the problem here is that Nebraska's legislature requires 2/3rds of a vote to end debate. Republicans did not meet that threshold, so they will need Democratic votes for any map (unless they nuke the filibuster like our Senate might). But yes, if they do that, it's pretty easy to split Douglas County. Send one district up north, one south, and leave NE-03 as is. Or you can put Lincoln in NE-03 and then you'd have three safely Republican seats.

NE-02 voted almost 10 points to the right of the nation back then. Given that it's now in line with the nation and could decide a presidential election, there's much more incentive to gerrymander it.

I also thought Nebraska had a non-partisan legislature. Is there a way to know if they are D or R?