With impact in how our area is represented on the other Capitol Hill, state politicos rolled out the new set of proposed Congressional districts for Washington to be used in the 2012-2021 sessions of the House of Representatives. Below is a look at the newly proposed district lines and a round-up of analysis of the changes. Our Capitol Hill would remain in District 7. But the proposal would mean our neighbors to the south would be carved off to help form one of the most talked about elements of the plan: a congressional district where the majority of residents are minorities.
- Seattle Times coverage of the changes and full maps: “Under the plan announced Wednesday, Washington’s 2012 political landscape will also see the creation of its first congressional district where racial minorities make up a majority of the population.”
- Publicola: “Marko Liias: The super liberal state rep was moved from the 1rst (sic) District to the 7th, which is certainly more of a fit (the 7th includes most of Seattle). But bad news: Liias, who was running for Inslee’s open seat, would now have to run against popular Seattle progressive US Rep. Jim McDermott.”
- Northwest Progressive Institute: “The new WA-01 is a swing district, not safe for either party. It includes the northern Eastside in King County (anchored by Kirkland and Redmond), rural Snohomish County towns like Monroe, Sultan, and Granite Falls, and rural Skagit and Whatcom counties as well. Ceis and Gorton claimed during their presentation that it is possibly the most evenly divided district in the United States.” and “The new WA-07 is safe Democratic, centered on Seattle, like the old WA-07. But it now stretches into Snohomish County, taking in Edmonds, Woodway, and Shoreline. At its southern end, it includes Burien and Normandy Park. Nevertheless, it remains urban and liberal. Jim McDermott should be able to hold it.”
- Tacoma News Tribune: “The four partisan commissioners face a Jan. 1 deadline or the job goes to the state Supreme Court. State lawmakers can only fine tune any final maps and they need a super-majority vote to do so. The commission’s nonvoting chair, Lura Powell, has said the recent progress was encouraging.”
Current districts
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