ATLANTA — Georgia’s legislature convened Wednesday to redraw district maps based on the 2020 census, one of the most contentious things it does – pitting political self-preservation against rapidly changing demographics.
District lines are important because they define which voters choose which lawmakers. At the statewide level, it can shift or cement the balance of political power at the state capitol.
On Wednesday morning, state Sen. Elena Parent (D-Atlanta) was eyeballing a map released Tuesday night that would redefine the districts of Georgia’s 56 state senators.
"We (Democrats) think this is a pretty highly gerrymandered map designed to lock in Republican control of the Georgia state senate over the next decade," Parent said.
Among other changes, Parent saw a Democratic Gwinnett County state senate district - the 48th – shifted into Republican territory. It’s not a map, she added, that reflects Democratic gains in Georgia. Earlier this year, the state elected to two Democrats to the U.S. Senate.
"Some might say there’s a concession (by Republicans) here or there, but it’s not really concessions when what you’re talking about is still a map that’s heavily gerrymandered to favor Republicans," Parent said.
Republicans control the legislature and therefore, the mapmaking.
"I think it’s no secret Republicans are stronger in rural Georgia than perhaps they are in metro areas. So, that’s where much of the population loss has occurred," said House Speaker Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), who leads the House Republicans who also released a new map.
It, too, changes districts that appear to preserve the Republican majority. But Ralston contends it’s perfectly fair and perfectly legal. "In 2011, we passed a map here that was approved by a Justice Department led by (U.S. Attorney General) Eric Holder, and a president named Obama without a single change. We know how to do it," Ralston said.
He added that Republican lawmakers have come to him trying to get district maps changed to help them hold their individual seats. That’s likely to continue past Thanksgiving as lawmakers fine tune their new maps.