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A study by the group ‘Election Data Services’ says Texas may gain up to four seats in the United States House of Representatives. That would bring the state’s total to 36 members. David Wasserman with the Cook Political Report says Texas may be the big winner in the so-called reapportionment process.
“In 2011 we are likely to see a reapportionment that assigns more seats in the House and more electoral college votes to Southern States, Western states, as has been the pattern for the last several decades.”
States swap seats and redraw Congressional district boundaries every ten years based on population shifts. And both political parties look to benefit from the process. This year Republicans may have an edge through nationwide gains at the state level — that’s where the lines are redrawn.
“I think we’re likely to see a polarization of the country in this process to an extent we have not seen before in redistricting. What does that mean for the outcome of the process? It means that more of these plans will end up in court.”
The final Census Bureau population numbers are set to come out later in December. A formula is then used to officially calculate how many House seats each state gets.
From Capitol News Connection, Manuel Quinones, KUHF News.