Redistricting Removes Westmoreland from Douglas County

Georgia’s Republican-led legislature released the proposed U.S congressional district map this week, containing the newly created U.S. House Congressional District 14. David Scott (GA-13) is serving his fourth term representing portions of six counties including Cobb, Clayton, Douglas, Fulton, Henry and DeKalb. Scott, whose district encircles metro Atlanta and includes Smyrna, Mableton, Douglasville, and Union City, would see some changes in territory per the proposed map.

And under the Georgia's legislature's proposed redistricting map for 14 Congressional districts, Lynn Westmoreland's district, including some of Douglas County, changed slightly from the current district.
The district would still contain all of Coweta, Meriwether, Head, Troup, Pike, Lamar, Upson, Spalding and Harris counties, and also covers the northern part of Muscogee County, which hasn't changed.

The current district covered the southern half of Carroll County and western half of Douglas County, as well as all of Fayette County.

The proposed district covers all of Carroll, none of Douglas, and the southern two-thirds of Fayette County.

Westmoreland also loses a portion of Henry County, which is now split between three districts instead of two. Henry County will now have three representatives; Paul Broun (GA-10), David Scott and Lynn Westmoreland.

After the 2010 census Georgia gained one seat from the reapportionment. The state population grew to over 9.7 million, an increase of 18.3 percent. GA-14, formerly part of GA-09, spans most of Northwest Georgia and trails south to include Polk, Haralson and Paulding counties. Rep. Tom Graves gets to keep most of the areas.

The new district also shifted District 9 east, pushing it to extend to the South Carolina state line. As expected, the new district is based in Hall County, and was created as a result of a population boom in northern Georgia.

While a few of the district boundaries were shifted, most Northwest Georgians will remain in the same state house and senate districts if the proposed legislative map is approved.

The 2011 redistricting cycle redrawing the state’s 180 House and 56 Senate districts is the first in the state’s history where the GOP controls the redistricting process.

Redistricting is the every 10-year process following the Census where states redraw the lines of legislative districts. It's an important process to elected officials since a minor change in district lines can spell the difference between re-election and forced retirement.

But redistricting has less to do with overall population growth and more to do with where the growth was, as explained by the Georgia Redistricting Alliance: “Redistricting ensures every person has equal representation by drawing districts with an equal number of people—one person, one vote.”

On August 12, Georgia Republicans released their legislative redistricting plans. Last Tuesday, legislative redistricting plans cleared the House and Senate redistricting committees. Both passed along party lines. Democrats submitted a substitute proposal intended to pair fewer incumbents, but it was rejected.

Following that, the Georgia House and the Senate approved their respective redistricting plans. While the GOP currently holds comfortable majorities in both chambers, during the 2001 redistricting process the Democratic Party held the majority in Georgia government.

Citing public hearings held across the state, proponents called the process fair and open, but opponents contend that the GOP abused the Voting Rights Act to favor Republican candidates. A legal battle is not unlikely given the multi-year struggle over the 2001 maps, which now proceed to opposite chambers for concurrence. Georgia is also one of nine states covered by Section V of the Voting Rights Act requiring federal approval for any change in election law, including redistricting.

Maps can be viewed at www.legis.ga.gov.