Redistricting Roundup: Jan. 27

Redistricting may cost Rep. Allen West his seat in Congress.

Florida - Rep. Allen West, the only Republican member of the Congressional Black Caucus and perhaps also its most outspoken, could find re-election very challenging thanks to a newly drawn district. Already Democratic-leaning, West’s Florida district is now even more so on the map crafted by the state’s Republicans, who controlled the process. Democrats, however, could pick up two to four seats.(Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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Florida - Rep. Allen West, the only Republican member of the Congressional Black Caucus and perhaps also its most outspoken, could find re-election very challenging thanks to a newly drawn district. Already Democratic-leaning, West’s Florida district is now even more so on the map crafted by the state’s Republicans, who controlled the process. Democrats, however, could pick up two to four seats.(Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Massachusetts - A coalition of African-American and Latino organizations in Boston proposed a redistricting map this week that would increase the minority representation on the city council. Currently, there are just three Blacks and one Latino on the 13-member council, even though minorities make up more than 53 percent of the city’s population. “The prospect of having a stronger voice on the council is huge. That’s why this process is so important,” said Redistricting Coalition member Lydia Lowe.(Photo: David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

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Massachusetts - A coalition of African-American and Latino organizations in Boston proposed a redistricting map this week that would increase the minority representation on the city council. Currently, there are just three Blacks and one Latino on the 13-member council, even though minorities make up more than 53 percent of the city’s population. “The prospect of having a stronger voice on the council is huge. That’s why this process is so important,” said Redistricting Coalition member Lydia Lowe.(Photo: David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Texas - Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, who has served in Congress since 1993, testified this week at a federal court hearing about whether a redistricting map drawn by the Texas state legislature violates the Voting Rights Act. "I'm concerned about the overt and intentional discrimination against African-Americans and Latinos," she said, adding, "The problem is we are denied these opportunities by splitting the population up, by cracking our population." A three-judge panel is trying to find a compromise that will enable them to redraw political maps in time to avoid delays in the state’s 2012 elections.(Photo: Khalid Mohammed-Pool/Getty Images)

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Texas - Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, who has served in Congress since 1993, testified this week at a federal court hearing about whether a redistricting map drawn by the Texas state legislature violates the Voting Rights Act. "I'm concerned about the overt and intentional discrimination against African-Americans and Latinos," she said, adding, "The problem is we are denied these opportunities by splitting the population up, by cracking our population." A three-judge panel is trying to find a compromise that will enable them to redraw political maps in time to avoid delays in the state’s 2012 elections.(Photo: Khalid Mohammed-Pool/Getty Images)

Arkansas - James Valley, a lawyer and the former mayor of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, has filed a federal lawsuit that claims that portions of the state’s redistricting plan dilute Black voting strength in East Arkansas. He said that the proposal for reshaping a specific state senate district “violates the rights of the voters in the district to have a district where African-Americans can’t elect a senator of their choice.” He is joined by state Sen. Jack Crumbly, who would represent the newly drawn district and several other plaintiffs. (Photo: JFValley.com)

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Arkansas - James Valley, a lawyer and the former mayor of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, has filed a federal lawsuit that claims that portions of the state’s redistricting plan dilute Black voting strength in East Arkansas. He said that the proposal for reshaping a specific state senate district “violates the rights of the voters in the district to have a district where African-Americans can’t elect a senator of their choice.” He is joined by state Sen. Jack Crumbly, who would represent the newly drawn district and several other plaintiffs. (Photo: JFValley.com)