Congressional redistricting is triggered every 10 years based upon the completion of the Census. So that’s where we need to start. Over the past decade the population of the United States increased by 27 million to a total of 309 million people. This is an increase of 9.7 percent, which is one of the lowest in our history. Only the decade of 1930-40 had a lower percentage growth rate. Over one-half of the national growth during the last decade was attributable to immigrants and their children.
The population of North Carolina increased by 18.5 percent to 9.5 million persons. After Texas, North Carolina is the fastest growing state in the South. The growth rate was 13 percent for whites, 18 percent for African-Americans, and 100 percent for Latinos. The number of Latinos increased from 400,000 to 800,000 and they now constitute 8 percent of the state’s population.
Most of our population growth was concentrated in five major metropolitan areas. The increase in Charlotte was 35.2 percent, in Raleigh 46.3 percent, in Greensboro 20.4 percent, in Winston-Salem 23.6 percent, and in Durham 22.1 percent.
These census data will drive the redistricting process that is about to begin. It is mandatory that all 435 congressional districts in the United States have essentially the same number of people. That number will be about 710,000 people for each district.
North Carolina currently has 13 congressional districts and the new census data will make no change in that number. But here’s where the fun and games begin. When you look at the current populations of the 13 existing districts you find a very substantial divergence (both up and down) from the new mandatory number of 710,000.
For example, Sue Myrick’s 9th district has too many residents — 119,000 too many. David Price’s 4th district has 93,000 too many. G.K. Butterfield’s 1st district is under-populated by 99,000 individuals. And Heath Shuler’s 11th district is short by 30,000 persons. In fact, nine of our thirteen congressional districts are either way too large or way too small.
In addition, four of the state’s districts are already classic examples of grotesque gerrymandering —Butterfield’s 1st, Jones’ 3rd, Coble’s 6th, and Watt’s12th.
What the new map will resemble is anybody’s guess. But this much is clear. The national Republican Party has already identified North Carolina as ground zero for its nationwide effort to take advantage of redistricting. The objective will be to wrest control of at least two of the seats the Democrats now control, if not three.
And now the stage is set and the drama is about to begin. Orchestrating this “Passion Play” in the General Assembly will be the two Chairmen of the House and Senate Redistricting Committees — Representative David Lewis (R-Harnett) and Senator Bob Rucho (R-Mecklenburg).
March 6, 2011LeRoy Goldman worked for the federal government from 1964-2001.
2:52 PM, Mar. 11, 2011
Written by
LeRoy Goldman
