| There's just one problem -- Steny Hoyer may not be happy (?). However, the best way to get 8 Democrats out of Maryland AND to create very compact districts at the same time is to draw the map this way, where parts of the current MD-4 and MD-5 are combined. The new MD-4 combines much of Prince George's Co. with southern Maryland and is majority black. It is drawn for Donna Edwards; African-Americans would comprise approximately 63% of the Democratic primary vote there (white voters about 32%). Hoyer (who lives in St. Mary's Co.) can move and run in the new MD-5 which includes much of northern PG Co. and northern and central Anne Arundel Co. Northern PG was Hoyer's home base in the past and, at one point or another in his career, Hoyer has represented about 43% of the new MD-5, so it would not be a stretch for him to run there. The new MD-7 also remains majority black, and African-Americans would comprise approximately 60% of the Democratic primary there. Other than Hoyer, the plan keeps the home of each incumbent in their district. The population deviation ranges from 4 to 848 persons per district.
Maps:
District 1
60% Obama, 39% McCain (currently 40% Obama, 58% McCain)
61% white, 33% black
All of Eastern Shore; southern part of Anne Arundel Co.; central part of Prince George's Co.
District 2
58% Obama, 40% McCain (currently 60% Obama, 38% McCain)
69% white, 22% black
All of Harford Co.; northern part of Baltimore Co.; northern and central parts of Baltimore City
District 3
58% Obama, 41% McCain (currently 59% Obama, 39% McCain)
63% white, 25% black
All of Howard Co. and Carroll Co.; western part of Baltimore Co.; one precinct in PG to maintain equal population of districts
District 4
75% Obama, 24% McCain (currently 85% Obama, 14% McCain)
50%+ black, 39% white
All of southern Maryland; southern and central parts of Prince George's Co.
District 5
59% Obama, 40% McCain (currently 65% Obama, 33% McCain)
57% white, 24% black, 12% hispanic
Northern part of Prince George's Co.; northern and central parts of Anne Arundel Co.; most of Takoma Park in Montgomery Co.
District 6
62% Obama, 36% McCain (currently 40% Obama, 58% McCain)
59% white, 15% black, 12% asian, 12% hispanic
Northern part of Montgomery Co.; northern and central parts of Frederick Co.
District 7
67% Obama, 31% McCain (currently 79% Obama, 20% McCain)
50%+ black, 44% white
Eastern part of Baltimore Co.; most of Baltimore City
District 8
61% Obama, 37% McCain (currently 74% Obama, 25% McCain)
69% white, 11% black; 10% hispanic
All of western Maryland; southern part of Frederick Co.; southern part of Montgomery Co.
(PS. In my last diary, I indicated that I was working on a very compact plan for California in which as many Democratic districts as possible are created. I did come up with a plan with 48 Democratic seats for the state (each district is at least 55% Obama) with very compact districts that adhere to county lines and actually have less county fragments than even the bipartisan, commission-drawn map of the 1990's However, I will not post my plan as I strongly believe that the resulting map is in effect a "dummymander"; 55% Obama districts are just not strong enough to assure Democratic representation in California.) |
