The Oregon legislature just accomplished something it hadn’t been able to do in over 100 years: pass new plans for legislative and Congressional districts. Just about everyone outside the state expected the remap to go to court, since Democrats control the governorship and the state Senate and the parties are tied at 30 seats apiece in the state House. But Oregon demonstrated a rare spirit of cooperation and passed a compromise plan. And considering Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber held a veto pen, Republicans emerged from the negotiations with a pretty good deal: the suburban 1st and 5th CDs get a little more competitive.
The new map can be found here.
New District Baselines
OR-01: David Wu (D) – Northwest corner: Portland suburbs
Likely Democratic. Wu belongs to a pretty exclusive and ignominious club: Democrats from safe districts who are highly vulnerable in 2012 and have only themselves to blame. While Wu won reelection with 55 percent of the vote against well-funded Republican sports agent Rob Cornilles in the GOP wave of 2010, it’s been a press nightmare ever
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