Category Archives: Maps

The second redistricting plan is out and has some surprises. The LSA did not do what it did in the 2000s and use a different color for the district outlines in its second plan, because like in the 2010s it … Continue reading →

Mock 26: The X-rated gerrymander Is it possible to gerrymander Polk and Johnson counties together? There is, in fact, a workable (if no way compact) population-match district with that five-county span, plus Boone and Warren. Envision (or draw) it on … Continue reading →

The Iowa Senate dropped more work on the LSA yesterday by rejecting the first proposed redistricting maps. The above map wouldn’t qualify for what the agency has been ordered to come up with — a total variance of less than … Continue reading →

So, I didn’t win Redistricting Powerball. Oh well. Ironically, my very first map based on 2019 population estimates — and, to a lesser extent, Mock 21 — came closest to pegging the new 1st District. The overall variance is 99, … Continue reading →

Mock 22: The I-380, US 34, and US 18 districts District 1: Pulled from Mock 20 because it’s so good. District 2: Heavily Republican southern Iowa helps Mariannette Miller-Meeks. District 3: Long district is long? Good on small area, not … Continue reading →

Mock 20: Corridor compaction District 1: Democrat Liz Mathis has a clear-the-field list of endorsements for whatever district includes Cedar Rapids. Christina Bohannan — who primaried a long-time representative in Iowa’s most Democratic state House district — has received former … Continue reading →

Mock 15: Checking Wasserman The great thing about Iowa’s congressional districts is that anyone can play. I did some looking at what the “professionals” were playing with. I made Mock 15 based on this tweet from Dave Wasserman of the Cook … Continue reading →

Bonus Saturday post! Had the census numbers been released Monday or Tuesday, when I had a full evening to play with them, I would’ve come up with this map earlier. It might have even superseded Mock 13 entirely. Once I … Continue reading →

The actual 2020 census numbers came out yesterday, in extremely large and complex files meant to be interpreted by extremely expensive and complex software. I am but a simply country blogger of limited means. So, in order to get fast … Continue reading →

Illinois has just enacted maps for legislative and state supreme court (!) elections for the 2020s — but NOT congressional districts. Iowa and other states have been told that it is absolutely impossible to get anything close to the real numbers … Continue reading →