Georgia A Target In Democratic Redistricting Push
The National Democratic Redistricting Committee will dedicate resources in 12 states across the country for Democratic pickups in the midterms. In Georgia, the focus is on the governor’s office and state Legislature, particularly the Senate.
Andrew Harnik / Associated Press file
The National Democratic Redistricting Committee has its sights set on Georgia for this year’s election cycle.
The committee thinks Democrats can win seats and have more influence in the next redistricting process, set to take place in 2021.
“It matters greatly who draws those lines, and it’s always an intensely partisan process. Whichever political party has a majority will draw those lines in a way that favors their party’s candidates,” says Kennesaw State University political scientist Kerwin Swint.
Georgia Republicans ran the last redistricting process in 2011. Swint says that helped the GOP gerrymander districts to lock in political control for years. He points out that when Democrats were in control, they did the same thing.
The NDRC will dedicate resources in 12 states across the country for Democratic pickups in the midterms. In Georgia, the focus is on the governor’s office and state Legislature, particularly the Senate.
But Swint cautions it could be a while before Democrats actually have a fighting chance.
“Say by 2024, 2026, Georgia Democrats will be more competitive in some of these statewide offices and in some of these legislative races also,” he said.
Swint says Georgia’s increasing diversity and population growth in metro Atlanta could drive that change.
Still, he expects Republicans to maintain control in state politics for some time and that includes running the next redistricting process.
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