Re-redistricting for everyone

My friend Darrell wrote in yesterday to note that Dems, should they consider re-redistricting in retaliation for GOP schemes in Texas and Georgia, need not limit themselves to Illinois and New Mexico, as seems to be the plan. It’s a good point.

As I see it, in order for Dems to even consider the move in a given state they’d need four things: a Dem governor, a Dem majority in the state House, a Dem majority in the state Senate, and some congressional Republicans to target (in other words, an all-Dem House delegation, such as in Maine and Rhode Island, means there’s no need to bother).

Illinois and New Mexico certainly qualify, which is why they’ve been the subject of speculation. But which other states could be in the mix? Three other states meet the criteria: New Jersey, Washington (unless something odd happens with the governor’s “situation”), and West Virginia. Especially after Corzine becomes governor, New Jersey seems the most likely to start fiddling with the state’s district lines. It would even have a Texas-like argument: the state is heavily Democratic, but the state’s House delegation — seven Dems, six Republicans — doesn’t accurately reflect that. To follow Tom DeLay’s logic, that means it’s time to redraw the lines to stack the deck in Dems’ favor!

Better yet, after next year’s gubernatorial races, states like Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, and Maryland could join in on the fun, because they meet three of the four standards (everything except a Dem governor).

The lesson for Republicans should be clear: Re-redistricting can be a two-way street. Be careful what you wish for.