From the Washington Post

Big states — by population — simply matter more for a variety of reasons but, most notably, because of their role in the decennial Congressional line-drawing process known as redistricting.

Every ten years, a handful of states gain or lose seats based on population rises and declines — a process that hands power to create or destroy careers typically in the hands of a governor and a small group of state legislators.

Big states are typically the, um, biggest, winners and losers from this process and 2011 looks no different with places like Texas and Florida poised to gain seats and Michigan and Oho likely to lose them.

Democrats would gladly cede their seats in Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma if it means they can steal Florida or Texas from Republicans. The ability to move around the 10 combined Congressional districts in those small states is exponentially less appealing than being able to shape the 32 in Texas or the 25 in Florida.

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From Michael Cooper at the New York Times

Republicans are within reach of gaining control of eight or more chambers in statehouses around the country this fall, according to interviews with Republicans, Democrats and independent political analysts. That would give Republicans the power to draw more Congressional districts in their favor, since the expected gains come just as many legislatures will play a major role in the once-a-decade process of redrawing the boundaries of those districts.

Republicans said they expected to win control of House chambers in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and the State Senate in Wisconsin, and saw at least a dozen other states where they have a reasonable chance of winning control of legislative chambers. Democrats acknowledge that they will be fighting to preserve their slim majorities in at least 10 chambers — including State Senates in Nevada, New Hampshire and New York — but say that they see opportunities to gain control of chambers in four other states.

Redistricting, it has often been said, turns the traditional definition of democracy on its head: rather than allowing voters to choose their leaders, it allows leaders to choose their voters.

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