House R Redistricting Plan Not A Serious Plan
OK, kids, let’s see if you can answer this question. Where was the largest proportion of population growth during the past decade? If you said lower NCC, you’d be correct. The area around Middletown and its environs have exploded.
No serious redistricting plan could avoid this development, yet somehow the House Rethug redistricting plan manages to reapportion without even providing one new district in this area, let alone the two that the population shift calls for.
Your one-stop shop for this circus can be found here.
How do they do this? They only merge twice throughout the state. Under the Rethug plan, Helene Keeley loses her seat (3rd RD) and is put in a district with Dennis P. Williams (1st RD, ain’t happening), and Lavelle (11) puts himself in a district with Dennis E. Williams (10) by adding the most R portion of Williams’ district to Lavelle’s most R portion. None of the R’s isolated along the northwest corner of the state are cut. Repeat, none. Got that? One D district gone, 1 D district likely gone. Oh, and for Lavelle to get his numbers, he has to go east of Concord Pike. Oh, and if gerrymandering is your concern, just look at the contortions required for Debbie Hudson to get her district. Click on RD 12 E and RD 12 W. A district so big it takes two maps to show it.
Where do the new districts go? One, as you would expect, goes along coastal Sussex. That makes sense. The other is a newly-created district in, wait for it, rural western Kent County. Really. From the Rethug press release:
The 3rd Representative District, currently represented by State Rep. Helene Keeley (D-Wilmington South), would be moved to western rural Kent County, running from Cheswold, south and west, to an area near Felton.
That is not a serious proposal. Southern New Castle County gets no new districts, but western Kent County does? Please. Does Sigler live there?
One element is notable for its absence from the R plan. An element that Wayne Smith notoriously exploited to the R’s advantage in 2000. Go here, scroll down, and click on ‘Demographic Data for All Districts’. Wouldn’t you consider the actual population of each district to be at least of teensy-weensy importance? As I’ve written about redistricting numerous times, there’s a big difference between the minimum population required, and the maximum population allowable, for each district. Wonder why the House R’s chose not to share this portion of the data. You actually have to make a point of excluding it, and that’s what they did.
This may be about the best that pious bloviator Greg Lavelle and his henchpersons can construct to minimize damage to the R’s. As an exercise, his caucus may have found it useful.
As a serious plan…take one last look at District 12 and then get back to me.
It’s a joke.
I had a good laugh reading the press release and looking at the map. I even made popcorn to re-read it. And by looking at the map, it would be very easy to put Dave Wilson and Harvey Kenton in the same district and move Ruth Briggs King into John Atkins’ district. What Lavelle needs to realize is that his party lost control and now the Dems are going to reap the fruits of their victories in 2008 and 2010. In other words, suck it Greg!
why is the only demographic data given based on the white population?
is it the only population that matters to these ….ummmm… folks
One reason, Aoine, is because, in placing Helene Keeley in Dennis P. Williams, the Rethugs are jeopardizing a minority influence district, if not a minority-majority district. That would be actionable in any court challenge.
So they choose not to share that information.
Monsignor Lavelle, disingenuous is thy name.
Well Lavelle was looking for minority support earlier – looks like he lost it now
will make sure the word gets out….
funny thing, his last words were -“what can we do to attract the Latino community”
Gulp – lets start with not marginalizig them……….hello – have you even spoken with the Hispanic redistricting Task force..
FWIW, getting more and more hints that all 4 Wilmington districts survive in the D plan…and that R’s will lose some strength in the NW corner of the state.
For those saying that Lavelle is out, he’ll at worst be in a district with another R. You can take his pompous ‘I’m no better than anybody else’ malarkey for what it is–a thinly-veiled attempt to get him into a favorable district for a match-up with Dennis E. Williams.
The logical merge would be with Debbie Hudson’s 12th district, which explains the insane gerrymandered masterpiece that the Rethugs are floating for Hudson. That ain’t happenin’.
The decision that Lavelle (or possibly Hudson) might have to make is whether to challenge Katz in the 4th SD. If there is a 4th SD. If they’re in it.
They were going for the headline – “Sacrifice GOP Leadership” – so brave – and take out Keeley too – so original. No, this isn’t a serious redistricting map but it serves its purpose.
I don’t know, but it appears that Lavelle has been in the medical marijuana Quality Control Lab.
Gaffney on WGOP touted a “Poll” of the “new” 11th RD in Long Neck featuring George UNCIVIL UNION Parrish ahead of John Brady. Is therea new “Fantasy Politics League” ? Just sayin’
Frank Gaffney plays fantasy politics with a small hand.
A very small hand.
That would be Dan Gaffney, The Howdy Doody Doppleganger:) the small hand belongs to the afternoon guy an escapee from upstate NY Curley Colley…..
WGMD ran a “fun” poll for the new RD 11 (as Lavelle envisions it) which showed George Parish defeating John Brady.
That’s right. Frank Gaffney is that glowering guy who wants to nuke everybody.
Some people say that men who want to nuke everybody have small hands.
MJ how exactly was it portayed as “fun”? There is NOTHING funny about George “UNCIVIL UNIONS” Parrish, jusy sayin’ Though the fact that his spouse is “Bunny” is a bit humorous:)
JP – that is how Gaffney tweeted it. Agreed, there is nothing fun about Parrish holding any elected position.
George Parrish is an arguement for closing the Bay Bridge!