The GOP will have to make some fundamental changes in order to recapture control of Congress. But there might be another factor working in the GOP’s favor – demographics. This is from a blog featured in the hometown paper (Fort Worth Star Telegram).
As usual, New England’s loss is Texas’ gain.
Election Data Systems, a political demographics consulting firm, reports that updated census figures from July show that Texas is due three extra seats in the US House, and that will rise to four seats by the time apportionment happens in 2010.
The losers: Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Texas will gain more members in the House than any other state, according to the report. Four other states – Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and Utah – would each gain a seat and Arizona would likely nab two. Depending on how population trends move in the next two years, Oregon, North Carolina and South Carolina might get extra seats too.
Notice all of the Southern states there (and Utah)? That could be really good news for GOP chances in Congress. Naturally, it will all depend on the areas within the various states that gain seats. That will ultimately lead to issues of redistricting and charges of gerrymandering. Not sure how this will work out, but it bodes well in that there are new House seats being allotted to traditionally GOP states.
We gotta take ‘em where we can get ‘em.
steveflesher
Philip
Mel Maguire
Mark Ciavola
