6-4 WA Map

You know the drill. Disclaimer: I have never even been to WA and pretty much know nothing about the state, so feel free to criticize (it should be a learning experience).

I went for 6-4 because my guess is that the commission which redistricts WA will shore up every incumbent and add a new Dem seat while avoiding really ugly gerrymanders. Although I have seen maps that add a new Dem seat in the Olympia/Tacoma area, I chose to add one in the Seattle suburbs.

Also, I guess I somehow missed a precinct which somehow has 0 residents but 4 voters, but we’ll ignore that. All incumbents have been kept in their districts, and the greatest population deviation is 379 people.

WA-03 Incumbent: Jaime Herrera, R-Camas

Old: 53-47 Rossi

New: 56-44 Rossi

Description: Withdraws from Democratic-leaning Pacific and Thurston counties and moves east, making Herrera safer. It’s possible that McCain may have won this now, or at least only lost it narrowly.

WA-04 Incumbent: Doc Hastings, R-Pasco

Old: 64-36 Rossi

New: 64-36 Rossi

Description: Loses its northwestern part and moves east, swallowing up Walla Walla, Lewiston, and Pullman. Remains a safe R district mostly based in Yakima and the Tri-Cities.

WA-05 Incumbent: Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane

Old: 59-41 Rossi

New: 59-41 Rossi

Description: Loses SE portion and gains some area in the west, making it somewhat more rectangular. Eats a few precincts of Wenatchee in Chelan County for population reasons. Still Spokane-based and Safe R.

WA-01 OPEN

Old: 56-44 Murray

New: 56-44 Murray

Description: Essentially the same, although goes a bit further north and east. Unfortunately, douchebag Brian Baird still lives here, but this district is sure to elect a Democrat no matter what.

WA-02 Incumbent: Rick Larsen, D-Lake Stevens

Old: 51-49 Murray

New: 52-48 Murray

This district shrinks considerably, pulling entirely out of King and much of Snohomish. Gains some liberal suburbs from the 1st, but not much. Nevertheless, that, combined with the shedding of conservative territory, moves the needle towards Team Blue a bit. If Larsen could survive 2010, he’s probably fine.

WA-07 Incumbent: Jim McDermott, D-Seattle

Old: 81-19 Murray

New: 81-19 Murray

Not much change here, may have gotten very very very slightly more Democratic. Seattle, Vashon Island, and a small piece of Seattle’s southern suburbs.

WA-09 Incumbent: Adam Smith, D-Tacoma

Old: 53-47 Murray

New: 56-44 Murray

Smith will like this district. He drops his moderately Democratic portion of Thurston County for very Democratic portion of Tacoma that was in the 6th before. With all of Tacoma and some of the southern King suburbs, Smith would have won easily even in 2010.

WA-10 OPEN

Old: N/A

New: 54-46 Murray

This is the new district, anchored in the eastern suburbs of Seattle. It contains Suzan DelBene’s home of Medina, so she could probably get elected to Congress. 54-46 Murray is a pretty solid Democratic margin (probably around 60% Obama), so as long as DelBene is the #1 Democratic vote-getter in the primary she should win the general easily. However, State Sen. Rodney Tom, who briefly challenged Darcy Burner in the 2008 primary, lives in Medina here too, so he could give DelBene trouble.

WA-06 Incumbent: Norm Dicks, D-Bremerton

Old: 53-47 Murray

New: 53-47 Murray

Dicks drops his heavily D portion of Tacoma but gains Pacific County and heavily D Olympia in exchange. Basically a wash.

WA-08 Incumbent: Dave Reichert, R-Auburn

Old: 51-49 Rossi

New: 55-45 Rossi

So I was a bit uncomfortable with pulling this into Chelan and Kittitas counties, but even if there were a way to avoid that, I think this district would still swing a bit towards the Republicans, since the new 10th takes a lot of the liberal Seattle suburbs off this district’s hands. This district only contains part of Auburn but I am pretty sure it contains Reichert’s home. It also contains Carnation, home to Darcy Burner, but this district is far too Republican for her to win.