Posted on 03/23/2011 7:26:42 PM PDT by Libloather
Va. black caucus pushes for second minority district
By: David Sherfinski 03/22/11 8:05 PM
The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus wants the state to draw a second high-percentage minority congressional district -- a move that could throw a proposal to protect all 11 House incumbents into chaos.
There is currently one majority-black congressional district in Virginia -- the 3rd District, held by Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott -- that encompasses part of Richmond and runs down into Hampton Roads.
For a state with a 20 percent black population to have one black member of Congress is "not representative," said state Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus.
"If we don't take this opportunity now, then we've got to wait another 10 years to have this kind of discussion," she said.
Blacks comprise 54 percent of the voting-age population in Scott's district. In Rep. Randy Forbes' 4th District, which borders Scott's on the west and south, 34 percent of the voting-age population is black.
The new district could be centered in the Richmond area and claim territory coming from both Scott's and Forbes' existing districts.
Locke said the caucus is proposing creating a second "opportunity district" that maximizes minorities' opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice and not necessarily a second minority-majority district.
Michael McDonald, a professor at George Mason University who is working with Gov. Bob McDonnell's redistricting commission, said the population numbers likely aren't there to create a second minority-majority congressional district. If the opportunity exists for one, the state may have to draw it to avoid litigation or objections from the Justice Department.
Virginia is one of a handful of mostly Southern states that must preclear their redistricting plans with the Justice Department under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Virginia is now required to maintain at least one black-majority district.
Bolstering minority representation across more than one district could scramble a proposed plan intended to protect all 11 of the state's congressional incumbents.
"If we just settle for an incumbent protection plan and do not even venture into trying [to] create competitive districts, then that's a problem, especially when we have the opportunity to do so," Locke said.
State Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, a member of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, said he would welcome public input on such a proposal, and criticized the reported incumbent protection plan.
"The idea that we're just going to blindly adopt what the incumbents want just seems counterintuitive to me," he said.
Majority Hispanic? Yes, that looks very doable.
Here’s a kicker for you. MD doesn’t appear to be covered by preclearance but:
Prince George 863420 total 556620 black
Charles 146551 total 60031 black
Montgomery 971777 total 167315 black
Total 1981748 total 783966 black
Pick off the whitest 538360 part of Montgomery that adjoins Frederick/Howard, add another 183334 from Frederick/Howard for Van Hollen.
You’ve got two black districts, with Steny Hoyer stuck in St. Mary’s. He lost St. Mary’s, Calvert, and Anne Arundel. It’s unlikely he could carry the eastern shore. He’d be without a seat.
Steny Hoyer — bumping poor ol’ James Clyburn now cutting another qualified minority out of a job.
Perhaps we need to split the districts male/female.
After all, there are not yet enough women legislators either.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.