Audio By Carbonatix
The results are in from the United States’ once-a-decade national headcount and Arizona will be sending one more person to Congress thanks to a spike in the state’s population over the last 10 years.
According to census data, released this morning by the U.S. Census Bureau, Arizona’s population has jumped from 5.1 million in 2000 to 6.4 million in 2010. That’s enough for an additional Congressional seat.
The new seat will likely be in Maricopa or Pinal counties, where the state saw the most growth in population.
It also means a new map needs to be drawn of Arizona’s
Congressional districts, which could get ugly when politicos get
involved.
In other words, Democrats will want the new district mapped to represent
areas with residents who vote Democratic. Republicans, undoubtedly,
will want the opposite.
The task of drawing up the new district falls on the Arizona Independent
Redistricting Committee, which is selected every 10 years.
The committee is made up of two Democrats, two Republicans, and one Independent.
Depending on where the new district is drawn, don’t be surprised to see
some of the losers from this year’s election crawl out of the woodwork
for another run at Washington. That said, let’s just hope J.D. Hayworth doesn’t live in the new district.
