Five most vulnerable Dems in redistricting (Carnahan, Shuler, Critz, Peters, Kissell, others)

The Hill ^ | 8/20/11 | Cameron Joseph

[Libloather]

Five most vulnerable Dems in redistricting
By Cameron Joseph - 08/20/11 07:30 AM ET

Congress’s lines are being redrawn, putting some longtime incumbents in a tough spot heading into next year’s election. Due to population shifts and partisan interests, some congressional districts are undergoing extreme makeovers, forcing their representatives to run in unfamiliar and sometimes inhospitable territory. Here are the five most vulnerable Democratic incumbents.

#5: Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.)
Missouri is losing a congressional district, and Republicans in control of the Missouri statehouse overrode Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto to axe Carnahan’s suburban St. Louis district. He still plans to run for Congress and seems to be leaning towards a Republican-leaning district that includes much of the territory represented by Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.), who is running for the Senate. His centrist record could help keep him in the House, but the district is about 53 percent Republican and he may face a rematch with Republican Ed Martin, who lost to Carnahan in a more Democratic district by just two points in 2010.

#4: Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.)
Shuler, a centrist Blue Dog Democrat, survived the 2010 wave election in a Republican-leaning western North Carolina district. But Republicans have made his district even more conservative in redistricting, removing half of the liberal college town Asheville from the district. Shuler’s nine-point win in a terrible year for Democrats proves he will be a tough foe, but while the old district gave Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) 52 percent of the vote the new one would have given him at least 58 percent.

#3: Mark Critz (D-Pa.)
Pennsylvania is losing a congressional district and Republicans are in control of the map-drawing process. The southwest part of the state he hails from has had the slowest population growth and Critz’s district can be easily parceled out to Republicans without weakening them too much. He may be paired with fellow centrist Democrat Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) in a tossup district, or may choose to run an uphill race against Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) in a heavily Republican district.

#2: Rep. Gary Peters (D-Mich.)
Michigan lost population in the last decade and the Republicans in control of the statehouse targeted Peters’s suburban Detroit district for removal. He has few good options: he could either take on longtime and popular Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) in a primary, or take on a nearby Republican in a tough to win district, possibly Rep. Thad McCotter (R-Mich.).

#1: Rep. Larry Kissell (D-N.C.)
Like Shuler, Kissell survived a competitive 2010 race, winning with 53 percent of the vote. But he is known as more of a liberal and his district goes from one that would have given McCain 47 percent of the vote to one that would have given him 57 percent of the vote.

Honorable mentions: Democratic Reps. Howard Berman (Calif.), Linda Sanchez (Calif.), Brad Sherman (Calif.), John Barrow (Ga.), Bill Keating (Mass.), Mike McIntyre (N.C.), Brad Miller (N.C.), Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Leonard Boswell (Iowa).

[Libloather]

That's a shame.

[GreaterSwiss]

I am against this. I rather politicians lose on ideas then being able to pick their voters

[Tea Party Terrorist]

Asheville is not a college town, and it was more like 85% was taken out of the 11th district.

[ConservaTexan]

I was hoping that the Texas GOP would target Hurricane Sheila. Sorry to see that she didn’t make the list.

[FreeAtlanta]

I agree. Districts should be drawn by a computer and the sole parameters should be driving radius to polling place and necessary population.

Skin color, Religion, freakishness or normalness should not play into it.

[cripplecreek]

With the screeching coming out of Conyers district, you’d think his seat had been eliminated.

[cripplecreek]

That’s more of a census issue than anything. If the census just recorded pure numbers, there would be nothing to base gerrymandering on.

However, as populations grow and shrink we’d still need a means of deciding who loses a district and where to place a new district.

[jakerobins]

Shuler needs to go! He has stated he would not vote to repeal Health Care and he was/is a Nancy Pelosi butt-boy.....Call him as much of a Blue-dog as you like(he didn’t vote for Obamacare or Debt Ceiling) but only because Dems didn’t need his vote!

[saganite]

I live in the District Shuler represents. This is damn good news! I hope we can get a first rate candidate.

[saganite]

Asheville isn’t a college town? You mean somebody stole UNC Asheville?!

[palmerizedCaddis]

WRT Mr. Shuler and his district.

Asheville is known as the gayest small city in the world.
For sometime it prided its self in spelling its name
A_Sheville after all the short haired ladies residing there.
Gimmorah to the south is a common way of referring to the place.
Too bad the town wasn’t moved to Mercury or Venus.

There are several colleges there or nearby. One of Gingrich’s pals is a prof at one of them.

[OldGoatCPO]

Asheville is to lesbians what San Frans tenderloin district is to butt pirates

[OldGoatCPO]

Asheville is to lesbians what San Frans tenderloin district is to butt pirates

[InterceptPoint]

FYI

[az_gila]

We were there in May, and saw “Keep Asheville Weird” bumper stickers.
Apparently it's also a T-shirt...:^)

http://www.zazzle.com/keep_asheville_weird_tshirt-235933582912965280

Yep.. not too many (R)s here —

[randita]

They’re on the list :)

[Cyber Liberty]

Eh. Will make no difference in the end. Most of the population from the blue states are relocating to enclaves in red states. Then, they elect Dems and thus pollute their adopted states. They bring their filth with them.

[newzjunkey]

The article only mentions Dems possibly at risk but ignores the Republicans in CA who are on the chopping block.

[G L Tirebiter]

I hope we can get a first rate candidate.

That's the problem isn't it?I'm a GA voter but spend a lot of time in Macon Co. The Schuler's predecessor was a crook. Hopefully someone of character and conviction will step up.

[G L Tirebiter]

I hope we can get a first rate candidate.

That's the problem isn't it?I'm a GA voter but spend a lot of time in Macon Co. The Schuler's predecessor was a crook. Hopefully someone of character and conviction will step up.