The next installment in the Wyoming Rule series takes a look at Oklahoma and Idaho, two heavily Republican smaller states. Republicans control the trifecta in both states, so I tried to reflect that in drawing the districts. In OK, I made all districts at least 60% McCain districts. In Idaho, there could have been a very compact district in Ada and Nampa counties, but that would've made my ID-02 even less Republican than it already is, so I basically keep the two counties apart.
Previous diaries:
TX, VA
Current seat count: 16D-43R
Oklahoma
OK-01 John Sullivan (R-Tulsa)
Rep. Sullivan's district is now contained entirely within Tulsa County. The district becomes ever so slightly more Republican.
35% Obama 65% McCain
R+17
OK-02 Dan Boren (D-Muskogee)
Due to Rep. Boren's retirement, this would be an open seat. Brad Carson does not reside in this district, he's in my new OK-07. My OK-02 is in the central and southeastern part of the state. This area is quickly trending Republican, but there is a lot of ancestral Democratic territory here and a conservadem like Boren could hold it. With no Boren, it would lean Republican.
39% Obama 61% McCain
R+11
OK-03 Frank Lucas (R-Cheyenne)
Rep. Lucas' district is in the panhandle and western part of the state. It is the most rural and most Republican district in the state.
27% Obama 73% McCain
R+24
OK-04 Tom Cole (R-Moore)
Rep. Cole's district gets pushed eastward a bit, but it remains relatively similar to what he currently holds.
34% Obama 66% McCain
R+18
OK-05 James Lankford (R-Oklahoma City)
As with the Tulsa district, this is a district contained entirely within one county (Oklahoma). The new OK-05 takes up the western third of the county and includes most of Oklahoma City. The way I have it drawn actually makes it quite a bit more Republican.
37.5% Obama 63.5% McCain
R+17
OK-06 Open
This is a new central Oklahoma district sandwiched between OK City and Tulsa. This district becomes the second most Republican in the state and thus should be an easy GOP pick up.
33% Obama 67% McCain
R+19
OK-07 Open
A new district that is in the north central and northeastern part of the state. The goal here was to soak up some of the ancestral Democratic territory in the eastern part of the state and overwhelm it with more traditionally Republican areas around Tulsa. This makes for a safe Republican pick up.
36% Obama 64% McCain
R+17
Idaho
ID-01 Open
The new ID-01 takes in much of the territory of the old ID-01, but Raul Labrador no longer lives here so this ends up being an open district. The district starts in the northern panhandle and winds its way down the western part of the state. It should be expected to be a safe Republican district.
37% Obama 63% McCain
R+19
ID-02 Raul Labrador (R-Eagle)
Rep. Labrador's ID-02 now contains Boise and the central part of the state. It gets quite a bit more Democratic, but should be fairly safe.
43% Obama 57% McCain
R+13
ID-03 Mike Simpson (R-Idaho Falls)
Rep. Simpson maintains his eastern Idaho based district. Since it no longer has to go into Boise, it gets much more Republican.
30% Obama 70% McCain
R+25
And that's that for OK and ID. OK must be called 7-0 Republican and ID is 3-0 Republican. A shutout for these two states. A couple notes: In OK, I was able to draw a 53% Obama district (63% Dem avg district) running from OK City to Tulsa and taking in some of the Dem areas south of Tulsa (Okmulgee, Muskogee). In ID, I was able to draw a very convoluted 51.4% McCain district from Pocatello to Boise and up the eastern side of the panhandle.