District 1 Must Change

September 12, 2011 at 2:26 PM

By RICHARD CALKINS

The case for a fair redrawing of Congressional District 1 is compelling.  After the 2010 census, the adjusted total population of District 1 is 743,067, according to the Maryland Department of Planning  The ideal 2010 adjusted Congressional population is 721,529 per representative, a deviation of +21,528, or 3%, which, next to District 5, is the highest population increase of any congressional district in Maryland.   District 1 will need 272,000 outside the Eastern Shore to reach the ideal level.

Demographically, District 1 is 83% white, second only to District 6, at 88%, significantly higher for any race in Maryland.

District 1 is skewed toward Republicans, who had a 12 percentage point advantage in the 2010 election.   A Democrat has been elected to D-1 only once in the last 20 years.   Correspondingly, District 1 has a Cook Partisan Voting Index (PVI) rating of R+13, meaning D-1 has a 13% Republican advantage compared to the national average.

Democrats are seeking a landscape that will make District 1 competitive through the next decade.  Through redistricting, we recommend that D-1 become more diverse, and advocate adding regions that support diversity, and dropping others that do not.

We also support adding regions that have a traditionally higher Democratic voting base in order to ensure a more competitive and fair election, with a PVI approaching R+1 or even. 

The numbers ensure that D-1 will change in the redistricting process.  We are advocating that any inevitable change ensure a fair and competitive election, which is healthy in a Democracy and for the State of Maryland.

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