Letter from Dennis Kucinich: My Congressional District May Be Eliminated

[tpsbmam]

Due to the new census figures, Ohio will lose two seats in Congress. The Ohio Legislature (Republican) will redraw the map with 16 instead of 18 districts for the 2012 Election. Speculation nationally, and more importantly, in Ohio is that my district may be eliminated, absorbed into parts of other districts. Keep in mind, given the early Ohio primary, the filing deadline could be only a year away.

You have helped to make possible my presence in the Congress through seven terms, and carried me through some hotly contested elections. I am very grateful for your continued support. I am also very grateful to the people of Ohio's 10th District for the privilege of serving.

Yet, in light of the strong chance that my district may be eliminated, my continued presence in Congress, to work for everything we care about, will obviously call for a much different strategy. I will not wait until a new Ohio map is produced to begin this crucial discussion of the consequences of congressional redistricting. I will not wait until the Ohio Legislature produces a new map to start thinking of the options. The question will not be: Who is my opponent? The question will be: Where is my district? Seriously.

We are going to have to prepare for a different kind of election, possibly in a different place because my district may be eliminated. We are going to have to organize in a different way, now. The question will remain: Where?

This discussion is consequential. Please participate by providing your insight and advice [email protected]
I will be in contact with you.

Facing the New Year with the usual unsinkable optimism, and wishing you the best New Year ever, I am, yours,

Dennis

[hlthe2b]

1. Not sure what it is that we can do--(non-Ohioans)

Frustrating...

[Uzybone]

2. another reason people should always vote

[freshwest]

4. And why I'm a bit peeved at those who didn't.

[Motown_Johnny]

3. To bad it isn't (D)s redrawing districts, we could have eliminated Boehner's

Maybe Dennis can run against him in 2012

[Igel]

7. Ohio would probably have lost a safe (D) district.

Unless there was extreme gerrymandering.

Ohio had much slower growth in population than other parts of the country. Since there's a fixed number of representatives, it lost 2 representatives. Then the question is how to segment the state's population to accommodate two fewer reps, keeping in mind that each rep must representative more or less the same number of people.

The most heavily (D) parts of Ohio had trivial population increases. The S and W parts had greater increases. That means the more heavily (D) parts will almost certainly lose one seat as each district covers more ground. Kucinich may be tossed in with another (D). Extreme gerrymandering--the kind that many DUers oppose on principle when it's used against them--could reconcile that. (I personally favor fairly squarish districts, let the chips fall where they may.)

[Skink]

5. dude where's my district?

[jobycom]

6. They did that to my rep, Lloyd Doggett, in Austin. He won, anyway.

Kucinich is doing it right, figuring out what strategies he needs to win now.

In Austin, Tom DeLay's factions divided the city up into four parts (it had been one district), and combined each part with a conservative district to override the liberal vote. It failed when Doggett won in the new district, anyway.