Author: nycyoungin

After messing around with Dave’s App to learn about how to enter a good product into the contest, I see that it is somewhat difficult to strengthen all Democratic incumbents. Based on my knowledge about the 2002 lines, I know that many of the districts (Reynolds, Sweeney, Kelly, etc.) were designed to keep GOP congressmen safe. I decided it would be cool to see what a GOP gerrymander would look like, knowing full-well that the GOP will never be in complete control of the redistricting process. Please enjoy a grossly gerrymandered upstate New York, that, in a normal year, would result in a 19-9 Democratic congressional delegation (assuming King was made safer and Bishop made significantly weaker).

When creating this map, I stupidly closed the tab that had all of the exact numbers for each of the districts. All of the numbers are based on my memory of when I drew them, though I’m pretty sure my estimates are very accurate.  

Map without counties:

Map with counties:

This is my first post here at SSP, but I check this site everyday on my commute home. For my first post, I want to add to the chorus: I have redistricted Maryland. However, in observing others’ maps, I’ve seen weirdly-configured shapes and people ignoring where current congresscritters live. With Dave’s new partisan data, I constructed what I think is a common sense, clean 8-0 map in Maryland. Please give me feedback!

Goals in mind:

– Create an 8-0 map in Maryland

– Make a Democratic-leaning district to redistrict out Barlett

– Strengthen the present 1st District for Frank Kratovil or any future Democrat

– Make Donna Edwards’ and Elijah Cummings’ district less Democratic (the current drawings waste too many Democratic votes) to help out adjacent districts

– Make the districts look neat

– Obey the VRA

– Be cognizant of current congresscritters’ homes. (successful with everyone except Sarbanes, but his district contains some of his old territory)

I think I accomplished the aforementioned goals.

District 1: (DARK BLUE)

Incumbent: Roscoe Bartlett (R)

Stats (relevant if >5% of district)

70% White, 9% Black, 9% Asian, 9% Hispanic

Obama: 56%

McCain: 41%

There is no way the old and conservative Barlett would win in this district. The district adds Democratic votes in heavily-Democratic Montgomery County.

District 2: GREEN

Incumbent: Chris Van Hollen (D)

Stats (relevant if >5% of district)

60% White, 15% Black, 8% Asian, 13% Hispanic

Obama: 64%

McCain: 34%

The district dramatically shifts upstate, but keeps Van Hollen’s home in Kensington. I did not want to dilute this district this much (as Van Hollen is a very important member of Democratic leadership), but I think he should be safe here, with Obama winning by 30%.

District 3: PURPLE

Incumbent: Dutch Ruppersberger

Stats (relevant if >5% of district)

66% White, 25% Black

Obama: 55%

McCain: 42%

The district includes both Ruppersberger’s and Sarbanes’ home, but I thin Sarbanes would run in my sixth, as both are Democratic-leaning districts, but Sarbanes represents some of the turf in the sixth. This district should somewhat easily elect a Dem as this district is anchored in Baltimore and Baltimore County, with some of conservative Harford County mixed in.

District 4: RED

Incumbent: Elijah Cummings

Stats (relevant if >5% of district)

41% White, 50% Black

Obama: 71%

McCain: 26%

The district is made for VRA rules, as the district is 50%+1 black. Cummings picks up a lot of new territory in Baltimore County, but represents a heavily progressive district nonetheless.

District 5: YELLOW

Incumbent: Frank Kratovil

Stats (relevant if >5% of district)

71% White, 22% Black

The district’s arm into Baltimore makes the district somewhat swingy, but overall the district is barely Democratic-leaning. The PVI should shift at least thirteen points from the present composition. The Eastern Shore-based district does not have Talbot county, as it is lost for partisan purposes (to increase numbers in Baltimore City).

Obama: 52%

McCain: 45%

District 6: LIGHT BLUE

Incumbent: John Sarbanes

Stats (relevant if >5% of district)

63% White, 21% Black, 7% Asian, 5% Hispanic

Obama: 57%

McCain: 40%

Again, Sarbanes would have to move to the district, but it contains some of his old district. In a pure partisan lens, the district is maybe a tick less Democratic, but Sarbanes should have no problem here.

District 7: GRAY

Incumbent: Donna Edwards

Stats (relevant if >5% of district)

31% White, 50% Black, 13% Hispanic

Obama: 75%

McCain: 21%

Unfortunately I lost the numbers to this district in terms of Obama-McCain, but this is what I remember. The district still has 50%+1 minority status, but it also lends many of the wasted Democratic votes to other counties.

District 8: LIGHTISH BLUE (BOTTOM OF MARYLAND)

Incumbent: Steny Hoyer

Stats (relevant if >5% of district)

56% White, 35% Black

Obama: 63%

McCain: 33%

I lost these numbers too, but Hoyer should be safe in this district.

UPDATE: I made some changes based on davybaby’s comments. The only thing that hasn’t changed since my original post is the number of each district, but I suppose anyone could easily renumber them.