Lawmakers expect North Georgia to gain representatives at the state and national level when the Legislature redraws political district lines based on U.S. census data in 2011.
At the Capitol.In general, the legislators expect the state districts to reflect population trends, with South Georgia losing a few representatives and North Georgia gaining. Census records show that North Georgia's population rose from 2000 to 2009, which experts attribute to sprawl from suburban Atlanta and couples retiring to the mountains.
Charlie Harper, editor of the Peach Pundit political blog, is looking for a compromise.
"Each of the districts are going to give up a piece of something," Harper said.
He said the proposed 9th District makes sense because the new district would be centered around Gainesville, the hometown of Gov.-elect Nathan Deal and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle. He said a Northeast or North-Central district makes sense not only because of the powerful leaders who hail from the region but it's "the easiest place to draw a district where an incumbent doesn't already live."
GA grew 18% since 2000. Based on the recent election I'm guessing they did. I bet once a blue voter is exposed to the logic of a red neighbor they see the light.bdee said:On a national level, if folks are leaving from blue states and heading for red states, do they suddenly become conservative voters?
We just picked up our 14th. It will go to North Georgia. The VRA will not be an issue up here.bdee said:If I remember correctly the congressional split here was 10-5 republican. They will have to create safe seats that will be located in predominantly black neighborhoods to comply with the Voting Rights Act.
Unfortunately, the VRA always seems to be an issue. All the lines are going to be redrawn to some extent to fit in a new district.mountainpass said:We just picked up our 14th. It will go to North Georgia. The VRA will not be an issue up here.
Strong growth in north Cobb, Gwinnett, Cherokee, Forsyth and other counties north of Atlanta means those areas will gain not only a congressional seat but as many as five or six new seats in the General Assembly. Conversely, vast swaths of southern Georgia, which have stagnated or even lost population, will kiss legislative seats goodbye.
For the first time in Georgia’s modern political history, Republicans hold virtually all the redistricting cards. They dominate both houses of the Legislature and hold the governor’s mansion and the attorney general’s office.
That's probably part of it, but my thought was that it was just the red northerners stuck in blue states migrating to somewhere more comfortable, politically.mountainpass said:GA grew 18% since 2000. Based on the recent election I'm guessing they did. I bet once a blue voter is exposed to the logic of a red neighbor they see the light.bdee said:On a national level, if folks are leaving from blue states and heading for red states, do they suddenly become conservative voters?
Somebody call my name?SYN ACK said:That's probably part of it, but my thought was that it was just the red northerners stuck in blue states migrating to somewhere more comfortable, politically.
By Jeffry ScottIn general, the legislators expect the state districts to reflect population trends, with South Georgia losing a few representatives and North Georgia gaining. Census records show that North Georgia's population rose from 2000 to 2009, which experts attribute to sprawl from suburban Atlanta and couples retiring to the mountains.
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section ... cle/47665/Forsyth County was the fastest-growing county in the state, showing a 78.4 percent increase and inching it within a few thousand people of overtaking Hall as the largest North Georgia county outside of metro Atlanta.
"I had predicted that in five years Forsyth County might be ahead of us," Norton said. "It might be tomorrow,"
Other North Georgia counties showing large gains were Cherokee at 51 percent, Barrow at 50.3 percent, Jackson at 45.4 percent, Lumpkin at 42.8 percent, Dawson at 39.5 percent and White at 36 percent.
:ditto:RecoveringYankee said:Somebody call my name?SYN ACK said:That's probably part of it, but my thought was that it was just the red northerners stuck in blue states migrating to somewhere more comfortable, politically.
Not just politically. The culture, the atmosphere, the attitude, the level of freedom. It's all better down here.
Yep, people down here do seem to be more kind, friendly, and neighborly. Must have something to do with the Bible Belt.RecoveringYankee said:Somebody call my name?SYN ACK said:That's probably part of it, but my thought was that it was just the red northerners stuck in blue states migrating to somewhere more comfortable, politically.
Not just politically. The culture, the atmosphere, the attitude, the level of freedom. It's all better down here.
I doubt that conclusion.Phil1979 said:Yep, people down here do seem to be more kind, friendly, and neighborly. Must have something to do with the Bible Belt.![]()