Republican Majority in Georgia General Assembly Releases Proposed Congressional Redistricting Map

The Georgia State Senate Republican Majority Caucus and the George State House of Representatives Republican Majority Caucus released a proposed congressional redistricting map Wednesday.

David Wasserman, editor U.S. House of Representatives for the Cook Report, tweeted the new maps are “Bad news for Dems in this 9R-5D gerrymander.”

 

 

Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) characterized the maps very differently in a press release sent out earlier in the day.

“Today, we have released a proposed map that reflects Georgia’s growing, diverse population, respects jurisdictional lines and communities of interest, and conforms to applicable legal standards including the Voting Rights Act. This map will now go through the legislative process in both the House and the Senate which will include public testimony and debate in both chambers,” Ralston said.

“Unlike the unconstitutional maps drawn by a Democratic Majority in 2001, we have sought to plan for Georgia’s future rather than cling to its past. And we have done so in a manner that has been thorough, transparent and inclusive. That process has already included 11 hearings, more than 20 hours of public testimony and an online portal that has received more than 1,000 comments,” Ralston added.

Republicans hold a solid majority in both houses of the Georgia General Assembly–the Georgia State Senate and the Georgia House of Representatives. The Georgia General Assembly has the statutory and Constitutional duty to redraw the boundaries of congressional districts and state legislative districts every ten years, to apply to the first general election held after the details of the U.S. Census are released.

After the proposed map’s release on Wednesday, Fivethirtyeight.com did not use the term “gerrymander” to describe the new map. Instead, it reported the “proposed congressional map that would create an opportunity for the GOP to capture at least one Democratic-held seat in the state.” (emphasis added)

Georgia’s current congressional delegation has eight Republicans and six Democrats, but the plan would shift Georgia’s 6th District from a competitive D+1 seat to a R+24 district, making it almost certain to fall into Republican hands. And since Republicans have full control of the redistricting process in Georgia, only intraparty disagreement over the new proposal could halt it from becoming the state’s new congressional map.

The GOP proposal most clearly impacts the future of Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath, the incumbent in the 6th District who now has little hope of winning reelection. McBath could hypothetically run against fellow Democratic Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux in the nearby 7th District, but only 12 percent of the population in McBath’s current seat would fall within the 7th’s new lines, so McBath wouldn’t have much of an existing base of support to work with.

On Tuesday, a national GOP strategist expressed concern to Breitbart News that Republicans in the Georgia General Assembly might fail to press their advantage in the redistricting process in the state:

Sources tell Breitbart News the redistricting map now under consideration for the 2022 congressional districts, however, would end up very similar to where they are now, either nine Republicans to five Democrats or eight Republicans to six Democrats.

“Republicans are in complete control and can make a 10-4 map and send two new members to Congress,” a source familiar with the redistricting process told Breitbart News.

Members of the Georgia General Assembly contacted by Breitbart News chose not to offer any on-the-record comments until legislative committees release final draft maps for the proposed new boundaries for congressional districts.

But at least one source familiar with the behind the scenes negotiations has sounded an alarm bell for Republicans.

“Apparently, it wasn’t enough for Georgia Republicans to deliver the Senate to Chuck Schumer. Now they seem intent on helping Nancy Pelosi retain the Speakership,” a national GOP strategist told Breitbart News.

The release of the proposed congressional redistricting map by Republicans on Wednesday moves the process of finalizing the new boundaries for congressional districts in Georgia one step closer to completion.