The concept itself — congressional and legislative redistricting — doesn’t carry much drama. It might cause government nerds and policy wonks to swoon with ardor, but most ordinary folks won’t change their schedules or lifestyles because of the redrawing of political boundaries. Nevertheless, redistricting will have a profound impact on Southwest Washington and Clark County when it occurs after the 2010 Census and before the 2012 Legislature.
That’s one reason our attention was drawn Monday afternoon when the Washington secretary of state’s office announced a new Web page for redistricting: www.sos.wa.gov/elections/redistricting. It’s packed with helpful information, and more will be added as the process unfolds.
Monday’s announcement also was of interest for other reasons, which we commend to readers’ attention:
“(T)he 8th and 3rd congressional districts have surged in population and will be shedding some of their voters in the next round of redistricting.” That 3rd District, served by U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, D-Vancouver, stretches from Vancouver to Olympia and includes Clark, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Pacific and Lewis counties, and most of Thurston and Skamania counties. The 8th District, served by Republican Dave Reichert, includes Seattle’s eastern suburbs.
Because our area and the Seattle suburbs are growing so rapidly, these two districts will shrink in physical size when the decennial redistricting process is completed. So it will be interesting to see how the 3rd District is reshaped. Will it lose Olympia? Will that part of Skamania County move to another district? Will the 3rd lose its connection to the Pacific Ocean? All are possibilities.
Here are other interesting questions: Will federal redistricting award our state another member of Congress? (The 8th was added in 1980, the 9th in 1990. The passage of 20 years means a 10th District is a distinct possibility.)
How will this affect politics? Our 3rd District was represented by Republican Linda Smith for two terms starting in 1995, and by Democrat Baird since 1997. The 8th is the only Republican stronghold west of the Cascades, but redistricting might result in the first Democrat to ever serve that area. As we noted, nothing should be taken for granted.
Monday’s statement also explained: “Some of our legislative districts such as Southwest Washington’s 17th and 18th, and King County’s 5th and the 2nd in King, Pierce and Thurston, are way too big.” We reported in a 2008 editorial that, since 2000, the number of registered voters had grown by 16.1 percent in the 17th district (east Vancouver and unincorporated urban areas toward Battle Ground). And 10-year growth was even greater — 19.7 percent — in the 18th district (Camas, Washougal, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, La Center, rural north Clark County and most of Cowlitz County).
Of course, redistricting is determined by population, not registered voters, but those growth rates pose these questions: Will the 18th lose Cowlitz County? Will the 17th shrink to exclude unincorporated areas? Who knows?
One thing is certain, though. Washington state has a superb, independent and nonpolitical commission that redraws boundaries. For details, visit the Web site listed above. In the next 2-3 years, our state and our region will realize one of the benefits of growth: stronger voices in federal and state governments.
