Representatives Who Consider Themselves Kings
A noble goal of the political process of redistricting might be to ensure that districts combine coherent communities and honor laws about not not splitting counties.
The true motivation in Kentucky is to make incumbents lazy.
He told Pure Politics that his intent is to protect incumbents while giving Louisville another legislative district. Here's what he said:
Protecting incumbents is the name of the game. Looking at the proposals for redistricting the US House of Representatives, it seems the only thing that House Speaker Greg Stumbo and Reps. Geoff Davis and Hal Rogers agree upon in entrenching Rep. Ben Chandler in Kentucky's Sixth District for life. As CN2 Politics explains:
The initial redistricting plan House Speaker Greg Stumbo released Tuesday would increase the number of registered Democrats in the 1st and 5th congressional districts by 30,000 while making the 2nd and 4th districts safer Republican seats, according to a Pure Politics analysis....
Stumbo's plan also makes the 6th District slightly more Democratic, which would benefit Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler.
While those statements don't seem to be supported by the numbers that show an Democratic tilt to the 4th district as well, it is otherwise correct.
When examining the "Congressional Delegation Map" that Stumbo contends that Kentucky's representatives suggested, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd are unchanged relative to current registration proportions, while the 4th and 5th become more Republican and the 6th becomes more Democratic.
Either way, advantage for Chandler.
It is understandable that Stumbo would want to protect his fellow Democrat, but what about the federal delegation's Republican members?
By separating vulturing Jessamine County from the Sixth and separating Nicholasville from Lexington in the proposals, even the usually pro-Chandler editorial board of the Herald Leader had to cry "FOUL!"
Don't sever Jessamine County from the 6th Congressional District. We understand the district anchored by Lexington must lose territory because of population gains. Moving Republican-leaning Jessamine would help Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler in his expected rematch with Republican Andy Barr next year. We've endorsed Chandler in all his political races. But Fayette and Jessamine counties are economic and social partners, their futures are linked and splitting them would weaken their voice in Congress.
The same could be said for Garrard and Boyle.
We encourage readers to write their legislators and say that these political maps are not acceptable.
