This installment of the Wyoming Rule series looks at Georgia, a state which would go up to 17 seats while under Republican control.
My first cut at Georgia drew a 13-4 Republican map with 4 AA-majority Democratic districts. This left a couple Republican seats in the 56% McCain range. So I redrew the state and added another AA-majority seat in the Atlanta area. This left me with a 12-5 Republican map (with 5 AA-majority Democratic seats) and the Republican seats are all pretty darn safe.
Previous diaries:
FL, ID, IN, MN, NV, NM, NY, NC, OK, SC, TX, VA, WA
Current seat count: 77D-126R
Southern Georgia
GA-01 Jack Kingston (R-Savannah)
Rep. Kingston's district extends a bit further into Savannah in an attempt to take Democratic voters away from John Barrow. As a result, it becomes a bit less Republican.
40% Obama 59% McCain
R+12
GA-08 Austin Scott (R-Ashburn)
Rep. Scott's district barely resembles what it is today. It no longer reaches all the way up to Atlanta. Instead, it is in the southwestern and south central part of the state. It becomes quite a bit safer for him.
37% Obama 62% McCain
R+16
GA-02 Sanford Bishop (D-Albany)
Rep. Bishop's district becomes an AA-majority Democratic vote sink. The district becomes about 14 points more Democratic.
56% black, 38% white
67% Obama 32% McCain
D+15
GA-12 John Barrow (D-Savannah)
Rep. Barrow loses the northern half of his district and instead stretches westward to Warner Robbins. He also loses a bit of his base in Savannah. All this in an attempt to unseat the Democrat.
40% Obama 59% McCain
R+13
GA-03 Lynn Westmoreland (R-Grantville)
Rep. Westmoreland's district becomes more compact in the western part of the state. It remains staunchly Republican.
33% Obama 66% McCain
R+21
GA-15 Open
This new district essentially takes over the northern parts of GA-08 and GA-12 and the eastern part of GA-03. It stretches from Burke and Richmond counties on the South Carolina border all the way to Henry County just south of Atlanta. It should be expected to go Republican.
40% Obama 59% McCain
R+14
Northern Georgia
GA-10 Paul Broun (R-Athens)
Rep. Broun's district becomes more compact around his hometown of Athens. It loses the eastern and northern part to the new GA-16. It becomes slightly more Republican.
36% Obama 63% McCain
R+17
GA-16 Open
This new district takes in parts of GA-10 and the Augusta area from GA-12. It stretches along most of the South Carolina border. It should be safely Republican.
40% Obama 60% McCain
R+14
GA-17 Open
This new district in the northern part of the state takes over the eastern portion of fast growing GA-09. It is Republican to the extreme.
25% Obama 74% McCain
R+27
GA-09 Tom Graves (R-Ranger)
Rep. Graves' district now fits neatly into 9 counties in the northwestern corner of the state. Even after becoming 5 points more Democratic, it is still very safe.
29% Obama 70% McCain
R+23
GA-11 Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta)
Rep. Gingrey's district takes in all or part of 6 counties directly to the west of Atlanta. Another safe Republican district.
33% Obama 66% McCain
R+20
Atlanta
GA-06 Tom Price (R-Roswell)
The new 6th contains northern Atlanta suburbs including Roswell and Alpharetta. It is of course very Republican.
37% Obama 62% McCain
R+19
GA-07 Rob Woodall (R-Lawrenceville)
Rep. Woodall's district is most of fast-growing Gwinnett County as well as small portions of Fulton and Forsyth.
35% Obama 64% McCain
R+20
GA-04 Hank Johnson (D-Lithonia)
In order to fit 4 minority-majority districts in the Atlanta area, Rep. Johnson's district had to change quite a bit. It now stretches from Clayton County, up through DeKalb, and into Gwinnett County.
55% black, 26% white
79% Obama 20% McCain
D+24
GA-05 John Lewis (D-Atlanta)
Rep. Lewis' is most of Atlanta in Fulton County and parts of DeKalb and Clayton.
51% black, 34% white
83% Obama 16% McCain
D+30
GA-13 David Scott (D-Atlanta)
Rep. Scott's district gets pushed to the west to accommodate the new GA-14. It contains southwestern Fulton County, the eastern part of Douglas County and the Smyrna/Marietta area of Cobb County.
52% black, 33% white
70% Obama 29% McCain
D+14
GA-14 Open
This is a new minority-majority district in the Atlanta metro area. It is based in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties, but stetches into the black areas of Conyers and Covington.
51% black, 31% white
71% Obama 28% McCain
D+15