This op-ed piece provides some history on previous Democrat redistricting in our nation’s largest state and why author believes the proposed redistricting maps reflect political reality in Alaska.
The 2002 Democrat redistricting map was neither fair nor equitable in terms of state Senate representation. The 55,000 Republican voter registration advantage was buried in a 10-10 Senate in 2010.Today, Democrats have dwindled to 69,925 in Alaska while Republican registrations have swelled to 133,317. With a 63,392 registration advantage, Republicans have elected twenty-six representatives and thirteen senators.The 2012 Alaska Redistricting map reflected both our changing demographics and our politics. The July 14, 2013, proclamation map created districts with even smaller population deviations for strict compliance with our Alaska State Constitution.Let’s acknowledge this political change. Alaskan voters deserve this fair and equitable map for the balance of the decade.