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IN: GOP Set To Draw the Lines
Written by admin
Monday, 13 September 2010 07:59

From the South Bend Tribune
Republicans almost certainly will do all the redistricting in Indiana. For congressional districts. For the Indiana House. For the Indiana Senate.

And that’s bad news for Democrats for a decade.

The districts drawn next year on the basis of the 2010 Census, with computerized packaging of voters in ways to elect as many Republicans as possible, will be used in elections right on through 2020.

As the New York Times pointed out last week in a front-page article, the main focus nationally is of course on whether Republicans will take control of Congress, but “it is a

lower-profile battle over state legislatures that could strengthen the Republican Party for a decade.”

In most states, including Indiana, state legislatures do the redrawing of districts every 10 years.

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Last Updated on Monday, 13 September 2010 07:59
Top 8 Redistricting Battlegrounds for ’10
Written by admin
Tuesday, 7 September 2010 03:33

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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Last Updated on Tuesday, 7 September 2010 03:33
GOP State Gains Give Edge in Redistricting
Written by admin
Tuesday, 7 September 2010 02:53

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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Last Updated on Tuesday, 7 September 2010 02:53
MI: The importance of Supreme Court races
Written by admin
Wednesday, 1 September 2010 09:55

From the Michigan Messenger

Last week’s unexpected resignation by Justice Elizabeth Weaver, a Republican, and subsequent replacement by Justice Alton Thomas Davis, a Democrat, may not only reshape the Michigan Supreme Court, it could change the entire electoral map of the state for the next ten years.

Next year when the 2010 census data is released Michigan’s political boundaries will be redrawn by the legislature, and if they cannot agree on the redistricting map then the state Supreme Court will take up the matter. Because the shape of districts has an enormous effect on who can get elected, observers are already speculating on what last week’s abrupt resignation might mean for that process.

Bob LaBrant of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce told columnist Peter Luke that the change on the court “puts the Democrats in the driver’s seat as far as redistricting is concerned. (Weaver) would have been a question mark, but that question mark has been removed.”

The term that Davis was appointed to fill only runs through this year, but he has already been nominated for reelection by the Democrats, and he will have an advantage over others because he will be designated on the ballot as an incumbent.

But Richard McLelland is a Michigan State University professor of public relations and practicing attorney with expertise in government ethics, lobbying regulation and campaign finance issues, tells the Michigan Messenger that Granholm’s appointment of Davis was dirty dealing that may damage Davis’ candidacy this fall.

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 1 September 2010 09:55
MI: Fall elections impact to be felt for years
Written by admin
Wednesday, 1 September 2010 06:59

From the Daily Tribune

But 10 years ago in Michigan, Republicans controlled the state House, Senate and governor’s office, and they drew the current district boundaries to their liking with little risk of legal challenge to their map.

That’s not the case this year, when Democrats control the state House and governor’s office, and Republicans control the state Senate.

And that’s why state legislative races have gotten a lot of attention this year.

A split in control of the House and Senate means the courts likely will decide on a redistricting plan, as was the case 20 years ago, making election to the state’s courts an election priority this year, too.

In Michigan and across the country, the outcome of state legislative races could well determine the makeup of Congress in the 2012 election and beyond.

For certain, Michigan stands to lose one of its congressional seats this year, not because the state has lost so much in population over the past decade – it has lost a little – but because other states have grown so much faster.

“Michigan has lost population,” Patterson said. “When I started, there were 19 congressional seats, I think we’re going down now to 14.”

Control of the state Legislature could influence whether Michigan’s remaining congressional seats lean toward the Democrats or toward the Republicans.

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 1 September 2010 06:59
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