In a similar vein to my previous diary “A Democratic Nebraska” I moved a state south to see how Democratic a Kansan congressional district can be. However, early on I noticed that it was actually possible to make two districts in Kansas with a democratic lean, albeit a very, very slight democratic lean. As in the past the numbers are hand tabulated and should be quite accurate.
CD1(Blue): 53.5% Obama 73/9/10 W/B/H
The blight on the landscape that is CD1 stretches its hideous legs out from its nominal centre in Emporia to swallow up Pittsburg, Parsons, Wichita, Hutchinson, Manhattan, Junction City, Topeka, and parts of Lawrence whilst nimbly avoiding republican counties with any sort of significant population.
CD2(Green): 53.5% Obama 76/9/10 W/B/H
Compared in to CD1 CD2 is has a positively tidy shape. Based in Kansas City (the part that is in Kansas anyway) it runs up along the Missouri through Leavenworth to Atchison and south into the more Democratic parts of Johnson county before turning west into the heart of Lawrence.
CD3(Dark Magenta): 35.0% Obama 88/2/5 W/B/H
South-eastern Kansas wrapping around CD1. It would be a neater district if it was just southern Kansas and didn’t turn north-east at Hutchinson, honestly I just didn’t want to reassign the precincts south of Manhattan.
CD4(Red): 29.6% Obama 83/1/13 W/B/H
The rest of Kansas. Mostly the western and northern parts of the state but it does follow the Oklahoma state line quite a way east.
The single so called “super-democratic” district turned out to be 57.6% Obama (74/10/11 W/B/H) and appears below.
Of course those two districts would be swing districts, however getting two districts like that in Kansas is impressive!
These districts look somewhat like some aggressive VRA gerrymanders; at least the blue one.
I’m always impressed with your effort. Doing maps for partisan data is not easy and its boring.
Great work!
I’m always impressed with your effort. Doing maps for partisan data is not easy and its boring.
Great work!
Or should the College towns of Lawrence and Manhatten be divided and put in the same or different seats?
Map will look similar to current and will be likely 4R-0D