There’s a lot riding on the bipartisan effort. The four commissioners – two Democrats and two Republicans led by a nonvoting chairwoman – know that the lines on the map are key to which party has control of the state Legislature and who gets elected to Congress from Washington state.
Democrats and Republicans unveiled their preliminary plans last week in the quest to broker a final agreement by Nov. 8. The commissioners have until year’s end to reach a compromise on congressional and legislative district boundaries, or the assignment shifts to the courts.
There are things to like in the maps – such as making Olympia the center of the new 10th Congressional District. There are also things that are pretty frightening, such as Commissioner Tom Huff’s proposal to split Thurston County into three separate congressional districts. That would be a disaster.
What’s interesting is the fact that three of the four commissioners managed to create so-called majority-minority congressional districts – boundaries where racial minorities outnumber whites. It’s an effort to bring more diversity to Washington’s congressional delegation. The minority-dominated congressional district would extend from south Seattle to south King County – stretching as far south as Tacoma in one of the three proposals.
Nationally, congressional district boundaries must be redrawn after every census. It was the 2010 census that resulted in Washington state receiving an extra – 10th – seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Three of the four proposed maps place that new district in the Tacoma-Olympia area – with the fourth map, from Republican Slade Gorton, putting it along the Canadian border from Bellingham to Okanogan and Chelan.
In Democrats’ plans, their party might be favored in as many as six of 10 districts, including the new 10th. Republicans could be poised to win five seats under GOP plans.
Now the challenge is for Democrats and Republicans to agree on a final set of maps that will go to the state Legislature for approval. Lawmakers only can make minor adjustments to the district lines.
The four voting members of the Washington Redistricting Commission have set a “goal” of reaching a final compromise by Nov. 8. If previous commission work is any indication, that’s a terribly optimistic timeline. Prior commissions have gone right up to the deadline, which is midnight on Dec. 31.
Our thoughts on the preliminary congressional plans:
• The congressional map of Commissioner Huff from Gig Harbor would be horrible for Thurston County, dividing voters into three congressional districts. The members of Congress elected in those three districts would likely pay little attention to Thurston County and its needs.
• Huff’s plan also mistreats longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, who would no longer represent Tacoma and Gig Harbor. Dicks would pick up Olympia instead and leave Pierce County with two members of Congress, Republican Rep. Dave Reichert and Democratic Rep. Adam Smith or their successors.
So there’s a whole lot to dislike about Huff’s plan.
• Former legislator Denny Heck received a boost from his friend Commissioner Dean Foster whose new 10th District would run from the coast to Puyallup right through the capital city where Heck lives. Heck has announced he’s running for Congress, he’s just waiting to see which district he’s in.
• The maps of Foster and Huff lump Olympia area voters in with residents of the entire Olympic Peninsula. What do urban voters here have in common with rural voters in Forks or Port Angeles?
• Republican Gorton gets credit for clear, block-like boundaries. The other three commissioners have boundaries with more jagged lines, adding a city here, deleting a town there.
• Gorton’s odd plan for the new 10th District runs along the Canadian border from Puget Sound to Okanogan. He brings Smith’s 9th District further south to include all of Thurston County and portions of Pierce County along Interstate 5 up to Federal Way.
What’s important is that members of the public study the maps, come to their own conclusions and offer their comments to the commissioners.
The four proposals are open for public comment for a month. Go to www.redistricting.wa.gov. The email address is contact@redistricting.wa.gov. Send a note via snail mail to: Washington State Redistricting Commission, 1063 Capitol Way South, Suite 16, P.O. Box 40948, Olympia, WA 98504-0948.
There’s a lot riding on the redistricting outcome. Now is the time for the voice of the public to be heard.
