Congressional Elections

Incumbency Factor Individuals who already hold office usually win reelection Especially in House (over 90%) Senate somewhat more competitive States more diverse than districts More media coverage More visible challengers 2012: 90 percent of House members and 91 percent of senators For senators, this year’s re-election percentage was the highest since 2004.

Incumbency factor in congressional elections

Advantages of Incumbency Advertising Visibility with constituents Name recognition! Credit Claiming Service to constituents Casework = helping individuals Pork barrel = federal projects, grants, contracts Position Taking Weak Opponents Campaign Spending More important for challengers Incumbents still outspend them

Redistricting Redrawing congressional districts, to show: Increases or decreases in seats allotted to the states Population shifts within a state. Reapportionment is a new allotment Especially new distribution of US and state congressional seats on the basis of census results Required for all legislative bodies after each census National, state, local According to U.S. Constitution + state constitutions Majority party controls redistricting

Gerrymandering Redrawing legislative districts to assure maximum representation for a political party Majority party in statehouse Named for MA Governor Elbridge Gerry 1811: helped to ensure the election of two Democratic senators by creating a new political district The term and political cartoon = combination of salamander shape of the district + his name.

Supreme Court & Gerrymandering 1964: Wesberry v. Sanders Supreme Court outlawed gerrymandering and established the “one man, one vote” principle. Court also upheld Voting Rights Act of 1965: Interpreted to mean that purposeful gerrymandering of a congressional district to dilute minority strength is illegal

Does gerrymandering still occur? Questions to consider: Why would North Carolina draw a district in this shape? Which party do you think was in control of the North Carolina legislature in 1990? Is this “packing” or “cracking”? What are the consequences of “gerrymandering”? North Carolina 12th District (1990) Eligible voters: 412,000 Black: 53.3% White: 46.7%

Read “Justices Affirm GOP Map For Texas” & answer in writing: Why was there a lawsuit over the Texas redistricting plan? What did the Supreme Court decide about the plan? Explain “…the gift that the Supreme Court and Tom DeLay have given us.” How did Texas Democrats try to block the GOP’s plan? How did the redistricting affect Tom DeLay’s career? What were the Supreme Court justices’ arguments for and against the redistricting plan?