The purple line represents the District 7 border set in 2011 — the black is the proposal for the new border in 2021
Like changes most likely coming for Capitol Hill and the Central District’s places in the state’s legislative districts, the area’s future Congressional District borders will also likely see tweaks as they are set for the next decade until the next census.
When it comes to our representation in Washington D.C., new maps wouldn’t change the current borders much, again splitting Capitol Hill across two Congressional Districts, the 7th and the 9th. The dividing line runs along Union between Madison and MLK. It then turns south along MLK to Yesler, and then heads east to the lake. From the Union and Madison junction, it continues west along Madison, before jogging south, looping the hospitals and the ID.
The Redistricting Commission couldn’t reach an agreement but this is the body’s proposal for the new shape of the 7th and the 9th. The final maps are now in the hands of the state’s Supreme Court
The areas south of this line would be in the 9th, which also includes Mercer Island, the southern part of Bellevue, Seattle between I-5 and Lake Washington, and the southern suburban cities as far south as Federal Way and parts of Auburn.
North of the line would be the 7th, which would include the bulk of Seattle, and Vashon Island.
The 7th is currently represented by Pramila Jayapal (D). The 9th is represented by Adam Smith (D). Both of them, along with the entire U.S. House of Representatives, are up for re-election next year.
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This proposal seems to be off in terms of any respect for communities especially the historic Central District and Central Area communities. That is the representation for areas that were the historic part of the non covenanted areas that were also redlined are split where there remains a cultural identity and issues related to policies that depressed an area and then policies that gave developers and speculators opportunity for profits and gentrification. Did they just treat us like an area with enough population that we can be used to support other neighborhoods. No divisions for Queen Anne, Montlake, West Seattle, or even Madrona and Leschi. It is quite different from the one, for instance presented by April Sims and even worse than Brady Walkinshaw’s original. I also felt that I noted some microaggressions from Chair Sarah Augustine when she discussed the individual members with her main remarks about April Sims as being well-spoken and articulate–of course, she is. But this is something that people often say when they don’t want to, are unwilling and simply unable to acknowledge the direct contributions of the Black woman involved.
Here is a link to a map more clearly showing Legislative Districts than your earlier map did. I have similar feelings about the lack of acknowledging the CD as a neighborhood just as important as any other. https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::3ee18c1d-a9ea-4c4b-8ee0-de5c241ddc90