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Delaware politics: Democrats diluting black vote, data show
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| Contributor | Scott³ |
| Last Edited | Scott³ Jun 03, 2011 01:06am |
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| Category | Analysis |
| Author | CHAD LIVENGOOD |
| Media | Newspaper - Wilmington (DE) News Journal |
| News Date | Wednesday, June 1, 2011 07:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | "Black voting power would be diluted for legislative seats in the city of Wilmington and surrounding areas under a redistricting proposal billed as protecting minority representation in the General Assembly.
Four existing House districts where blacks are the majority of residents would see their percentage of the population decline, according to census data and the House Democratic redistricting plan.
In Rep. Helene Keeley's 3rd District on Wilmington's southwest side, the percentage of black residents would decline from 61 percent to 51.82 percent if the House Democrats' plan is adopted, census data show.
Other city-based districts, where whites are in the majority, also could see a decline in black voting power. The 1st District represented by Sen. Harris McDowell would go from 30.4 percent black to 24.6 percent black as the district snakes from McDowell's longtime north and west Wilmington neighborhoods north through eastern Brandywine Hundred.
In the House, Rep. Gerald Brady's 4th District of mostly upper-middle-class neighborhoods on Wilmington's west side would experience a 14.2 percent decline in black residents, census data show.
Democratic lawmakers say their proposed redistricting plans were drawn to keep existing districts where blacks are the majority of residents intact, as required by federal law and court rulings.
"We're adding a lot of people per district, but we were able to maintain the majority-minority advantage," said House Majority Leader Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach." |
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