With GOP Gov. Robert Bentley’s signature in early June, Alabama became the eighth state to pass new Congressional boundaries for 2012. This is the first time Republicans have ever held redistricting power in Alabama, but there was hardly a sea change: after all, Republicans now hold all but one of the state’s House seats, and their only bold move was to add more African-American voters to the 7th CD, shoring up surrounding incumbents in the process. Although some Democrats have advocated for a second African-American majority district, the Department of Justice shows no signs of taking a hard line against the plan.
The new map can be found here.
New District Baselines
AL-01: Jo Bonner (R) – Southwest corner: Mobile
Solid Republican. The 1st CD is not the most overwhelmingly Republican in the state, but it is still reliable GOP territory. The district’s population anchor, Mobile County, gave 2008 GOP presidential nominee John McCain 54 percent of the vote and suburban Baldwin County gave McCain 75 percent. Overall, the district gave McCain 61 percent. Even more assuring for
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