Welcome to this week’s edition of REDMAP Rundown, a synopsis of redistricting news brought to you by the RSLC’s REDistricting MAjority Project (REDMAP).  This weekly update gives you the latest on what those in the Beltway, and across the country, are saying about the impending reapportionment and redistricting process.

In this week’s REDMAP Rundown: Pouring political muscle, Population shifts, Tennessee Dems have “no chance” and New Hampshire loves Nashua.

“Republicans and Democrats, hoping to pick up seats in Congress through redistricting, are pouring money and political muscle into statehouse races in about 16 states.  State legislatures will next year redraw congressional districts based on the 2010 census,” reports the Wall Street Journal.  “The key national organizations seeking to influence state elections will spend about $200 million this year, double what they spent in 2006, the most recent comparable contest.  The cash is allowing local candidates to adopt tactics more typically used by national politicians: time on cable TV, advanced polling techniques and direct mailings. … The Republican State Leadership Committee created the Redistricting Majority Project, whose sole purpose is ‘dedicated to keeping or winning Republican control of state legislatures that will have the most impact on Congressional redistricting in 2011.’ … The state races can be critical in determining control of Congress.”

“The country’s balance of population, and hence its balance of political power, continues to shift to the South and West, as it has for the past six decades.”  Bob Benenson writes in CQ that, “the census figures being released in December, which will decide the reapportionment of House seats among the states starting with the 2012 election, will probably show less dramatic changes than in the recent past. But they also could upend much of the advance planning of the nation’s political mapmakers, if the final and official count varies even a little from current projections.  Texas clearly will be the big winner and stands to gain as many as four seats, due in large part to its fast-growing Hispanic population. But it could be limited to a three-seat gain if the state’s population surge proves to be just 38,005 smaller (in a population of 25.3 million) than expected. And similarly minuscule differences — in relative terms, at least — could make the difference for as many as 16 states that might gain, retain or lose congressional seats.”

“The 107th General Assembly, which will be collectively chosen on the same day, will be projecting political power for the next decade,” according to the Knoxville News-Sentinel.  For that reason, Republican and Democratic organizations in Washington as well as Nashville are paying as much attention – if not more – to a handful of legislative contests in Tennessee’s small towns and big cities.  As a practical political matter, there is no chance Democrats can regain control of the Senate. … In the House … Democrats thus have more challenged seats to defend than do Republicans. Further, 2010 is widely seen as a banner year for Republicans because of perceived voter discontent with President Obama and the Democrat-controlled U.S. Congress.”

In New Hampshire, The Telegraph writes, “When you get down to it, elections are a numbers game, and here’s a number that has state Republicans excited: 27.  That’s the number of GOP candidates vying for seats in the Statehouse who will be on Nashua ballots on Nov. 2, and it’s the most that has been seen in the Democrat-dominated city in many years.  ‘Usually, we don’t have as many people even running, let alone candidates as strong as we have this year,’ said Ryan Williams, communications director for the New Hampshire Republican State Committee. ‘We don’t just have names, we have candidates who are running and running hard.’ That aggressiveness reflects a statewide push by the GOP, which hopes to use economic concerns to rebound after two election cycles that saw it dethroned as the dominant party in New Hampshire.  Andy Smith, polling director at the University of New Hampshire, has predicted that the GOP will take back the state House of Representatives, although he said the race for state Senate is too close to call. He also predicted GOP success in the U.S. Senate race and at least one of the two Congressional seats.  Party control of the Statehouse has extra rewards this year because the winner gets to control the redistricting that’s done once every decade.”

The RSLC is the only national organization whose mission is to elect down ballot state-level Republican office-holders. To sign up for the REDMAP Rundown, or for more information or media inquiries, please contact Adam Temple at 571.480.4891.