Analysts say Arkansas Democrats did themselves no favors in congressional redistricting

[The Northerner]

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Democrats did themselves no favors in redrawing the boundaries for the state's four congressional districts this spring, analysts told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Jay Barth, the chairman of Hendrix College's politics department and a Democrat, told the newspaper for a story published Sunday that the new district lines won't help Democrats elect more of their own.

Democrats historically have held most of the congressional seats, but the GOP gained a majority of the seats for the first time in 2010, with Rick Crawford winning in the 1st District, Tim Griffin winning in the 2nd District and Steve Womack winning in the 3rd District.

Even though three of the four congressional seats are held by Republicans, Democrats control the state Legislature and thus led the development of the new district boundaries.

Barth said Democrats couldn't use the majority control to create more Democrat-friendly districts because they needed to try and protect the only current Arkansas Democrat in the U.S. House, Mike Ross of the 4th District. Also, Barth said, the committees considering the legislation that set the district boundaries were almost evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans.

Read more: http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/042b22aed9c44ee3a289e2d656626c5e/AR--Congressional-Districts-Arkansas/