It's done! My first completed map using Dave's Redistricting App (DRA). It took me two evenings to complete it and some confusion, but it's done.
For my first map, I decided to do the Massachusetts State Senate. This body is ludicrously Democratic with 36 Democrats and only 4 Republicans, their highest margin ever(?). Dems picked up one seat last fall when they captured Tisei's open seat (Tisei had retired so he could be gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker's running mate). The closest any incumbent Democrat came to losing was Senate President Therese Murray of Plymouth. She won by a ~2000 vote spread against a conservative Republican in a region where Democratic strength is softer. Boston Patriot (MassGOP on SSP) recalled that Murray's win was the crust on the humble pie that the MA Republican Party was served last November (but that's a story for another time).
The maps I did was without partisan data (I had to do most of my work offline), so I tried a half-blind gerrymander. I attempted to erase the four Republican incumbents to the best of my ability and I highly doubt I batted perfect. For demographics, I shall only use VAP (voting age population), but determine the districts' trend where possible by comparing total demographic break-down to the VAP demographic break-down. I will break up this diary into parts to keep things in order. The numbering system I used was identical to this map of the districts settled upon in 2001. I also used this map as my template for drawing the districts for 2011.
Let's Begin!
Part 1: Western Massachusetts
For this part, I shall use the numbers to refer to each district rather than their colors.
SD-01 – Senator Benjamin Downing (D-Pittsfield)
This Berkshire Democrat remains essentially the same except for taking in westernmost Hampden County to lessen population deviation.
VAP: 93.1% White, 1.9% Black, 2.5% Hispanic, 1.1% Asian
SD-13 – Senator Michael Knapik (R-Westfield)
Now, we really begin. Although this district still contains the Senator's hometown of Westfield, it takes in West Springfield and Northampton. Is this enough to rattle his cage?
VAP: 88.7% White, 1.7% Black, 6.0 Hispanic, 2.3% Asian
SD-12 – Senator Gale Candaras (D-Wilbraham)
This district compacts like SD-13. Its branch into Hampshire County shifts westwards.
VAP: 79.8% White, 7% Black, 10% Hispanic, 1.9% Asian
SD-11 – Senator James Welch (D-?)
Sandwisched between 12 and 13 is 11. Its flame-like shape takes stretches from Springfield, through the edge of Chicopee, to Holyoke.
VAP: 50.1% White, 12.7% Black, 33.4% Hispanic, 2.2% Asian (Hispanic trend noticeable and district will likely become majority-minority soon.)
SD-14 – Senator Stanley Rosenberg (D-Amherst)
This district grows a foot into Hampden County to make up for a loss of Northampton.
VAP: 89% White, 2% Black, 3.4% Hispanic, 3.8% Asian
SD-38 – Senator Stephen Brewer (D-Barre)
This district leaves Franklin County, remains a “wall to the west”, and still doesn't take in Gardner.
VAP: 93.3% White, 0.8% Black, 4.0% Hispanic, 0.9% Asian
Part 2: Central Massachusetts
Here, I shall still refer to districts by number. It shall be districts of Worcester County, and the less populated parts of Norfolk and Middlesex Counties.
SD-39 – Senator Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster)
Remains virutally the same. Loses a Bolton finger and takes in Clinton.
VAP: 82.9% White, 3.1% Black, 10.2% Hispanic, 2.1% Asian
SD-36 – Senator Harriette Chandler (D-Worcester)
Compacts noticeably and takes in roughly the same amount of Worcester.
VAP: 75.8% White, 5.9% Black, 9.7% Hispanic, 6.3% Asian
SD-37 – Senator Michael Moore (D-Worcester)
Stays pretty much the same. Loses Shrewsbury to SD-36.
VAP: 74.9% White, 5.9% Black, 12.1% Hispanic, 5.3% Asian
SD-40 – Senator Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge)
I can't tell how this is anything but status quo.
VAP: 92.6% White, 1.1% Black, 3.2% Hispanic, 1.4% Asian
SD-15 – Senator Eileen Donoghue (D-?)
Let the cracking begin! This district used to take in all of Lowell, now only the northern half of it. It makes up for this loss by taking in Harvard. (I'm going somewhere with this, this wasn't for the hell of it.)
VAP: 72.8% White, 4.2% Black, 9.0% Hispanic, 11.9% Asian
SD-23 – Senator Sal DiDomenico (D-Cambridge)
Picks up a strip of Worcester County precincts bordering Middlesex County to make up for losing its northwesterly hook.
VAP: 84.2% White, 1.4% Black, 4.1% Hispanic, 7.6% Asian
SD-21 – Senator Karen Spilka (D-Ashland)
Retreats some from Norfolk County and makes up for it by gaining Wayland and parts of Sudbury.
VAP: 79.5% White, 2.9% Black, 6.4% Hispanic, 6.3% Asian
SD-25 – Senator Richard Ross (R-?)
This one was harder. I gave him all of the college town of Wellesley, cut off part of Neeham, gave him Dover, and gave him Medfield. Probably won't put him at risk, but you don't know if you don't try.
VAP: 90.3% White, 1.7% Black, 2.5% Hispanic, 4.4% Asian
Part 3: Northeast Massachusetts
Still using numbers. Won't need to get rid of them until the Boston area.
SD-09 – Senator Barry Finegold (D-?)
The remnants of the cracked Lowell go this district, which then proceeds to crack Lawrence. Why crack Lawrence? To mess with a Republican's district (which I'll cover next).
VAP: 70.4% White, 2.1% Black, 18.7% Hispanic, 7.4% Asian
SD-08 (click on above jpg to see full district)– Senator Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester)
The previous snake of a district now is compacted. It loses the Republican's hometown of Gloucester and picks up the remnants of Lawrence.
VAP: 77.5% White, 1.1% Black, 18% Hispanic, 2.4% Asian
SD-06 – Senator Stephen Baddour (D-Methuen)
Stays pretty much the same aside from it losing it's hook into North Andover.
VAP: 85.7% White, 1.6% Black, 9.5% Hispanic, 1.9% Asian
SD-07 (click on above jpg to see district) – Senator Frederick Berry (D-Peabody)
Has to sacrifice Topsfield and quite a bit of Salem in order to take in Gloucester and Rockport. Too much sacrifice?
VAP: 91.8% White, 1.3% Black, 3.8% Hispanic, 1.6% Asian
SD-18 – Senator Kenneth Donnelly (D-Arlington)
Stays the same except for picking up Wilmington.
VAP: 86% White, 2.3% Black, 2.5% Hispanic, 7.9% Asian
SD-17 – Senator Susan Fargo (D-Lincoln)
Stays essentially the same except for losing it's thumb into Sudbury.
VAP: 79.7% White, 3.2% Black, 6.1% Hispanic, 9.6% Asian
Part 4: Boston Area
Numbers and town labels removed for obvious reasons.
SD-10 (Deep Pink) – Senator Thomas McGee (D-Lynn)
Compacts some and takes the rest of Salem.
VAP: 70.4% White, 6.0% Black, 17.5% Hispanic, 4.4% Asian
SD-19 (Yellow Green) – Senator Katherine Clark (D-)
Stays the same.
VAP: 78.9% White, 5.5% Black, 3.9% Hispanic, 9.5% Asian
SD-16 (Lime) – Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville)
Stays the same.
VAP: 76.5% White, 5.8% Black, 6.2% Hispanic, 7.8% Asian
SD-34 (Lime Green [darker than Lime]) – Senator Steven Tolman (D-Boston)
Now a little less twisted than before.
VAP: 71.4% White, 5.1% Black, 6.8% Hispanic, 13.5% Asian
SD-22 (Sienna) – Senator James Eldridge (D-Ashland)
Remains as ugly as ever.
VAP: 62.6% White, 7.4% Black, 18.3% Hispanic, 8% Asian
SD-33 (Royal Blue) – Senator Anthony Petrucelli (D-Boston)
Still snakes around from Winthrop through Boston to Cambridge.
VAP: 61.2% White, 4.7% Black, 20.9% Hispanic, 10.6% Asian
SD-20 (Pink) – Senator Cynthia Creem (D-Newton)
Loses its portion of Wellesley and makes up for it by picking up part of the tail of Boston. Still has all of Newton and Brookline.
VAP: 78.3% White, 2.8% Black, 4.4% Hispanic, 12.7% Asian
SD-32 (Orange Red) – Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston)
Shifts shape some, but same location.
VAP: 45.4% White, 24.7% Black, 19.0% Hispanic, 7.2% Asian (All three major minority groups will continue to grow.)
SD-31 (Khaki) – Senator John Hart, Jr. (D-Boston)
Compacts some.
VAP: 36.6% White, 37.2% Black, 12.6% Hispanic, 7.7% Asian
SD-35 (Dark Orchid) – Senator Michael Rush (D-Boston)
Retracts some from Boston and takes in some of Needham.
VAP: 71.9% White, 14% Black, 8.3% Hispanic, 4.2% Asian
SD-26 (Grey) – Senator Brian Joyce (D-Milton)
Loses its arm to Plymouth County in order to take northern Weymouth (as part of a plan to hurt the 4th and final Republican Senator).
VAP: 76.7% White, 3.8% Black, 2.7% Hispanic, 14.7% Asian
Part 5: Plymouth, Bristol, and the Cape
Numbers and town labels make a return for the finale.
SD-24 – Senator John Keenan (D-?)
Compacts some.
VAP: 76.5% White, 12.6% Black, 3.1% Hispanic, 5.4% Asian
SD-30 – Senator Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth)
The Republican loses his hometown of Weymouth and picks up Rockland, Hanover, and part of Pembroke. Probably not enough to put this district in play.
VAP: 95.8% White, 0.7% Black, 1% Hispanic, 1% Asian
SD-29 – Senator Thomas Kennedy (D-Brockton)
Compacts and takes the southern part of Weymouth.
VAP: 69.4% White, 15.4% Black, 5.2% Hispanic, 2% Asian
SD-28 – Senator Michael Pacheco (D-Taunton)
No longer goes past Taunton.
VAP: 90.3% White, 3.1% Black, 2.6% Hispanic, 0.9% Asian
SD-02 – Senator James Timility (D-Walpole)
Shortens, but otherwise stays the same.
VAP: 90.4% White, 2.2% Black, 2.7% Hispanic, 3.4% Asian
SD-03 – Senator Michael Rodrigues (D-?)
Stays the same.
VAP: 91.7% White, 1.8% Black, 3.2% Hispanic, 1.5% Asian
SD-04 – Senator Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford)
Goes a bit further into Plymouth County.
VAP: 81.7% White, 3.4% Black, 8.2% Hispanic, 1.1% Asian
SD-27 – Senator Therese Murray (D-Plymouth)
The Senate President's district retreats some from Barnstable County and loses part of Pembroke.
VAP: 94% White, 1.5% Black, 1.4% Hispanic, 1% Asian
SD-05 – Senator Daniel Wolf (D-?)
Last but not least we have the most shore-centric Senate district. It posses the cape, Nantucket, and Dukes. Only real change is that all of Barnstable precincts are within it.
VAP: 91.4% White, 2.2% Black, 2.3% Hispanic, 0.9% Asian
That's all! Feel free to critique, comment, share your opinions. And now for some good music.
10:25 PM PT: sardonyx has some corrections and local analysis. Read it here: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Thanks sardonyx.
NEXT MAP: WV Congressional Districts (will be better done than this)
Stay tuned!