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Politics & Government

Midtown Democrat Dilemma in 2012 Vote

Residents of either west or east Midtown are set to get a new representative at the state House after 2012, as new voting districts just approved by the federal government draw two incumbents' homes into one district.


Residents of either west or east Midtown are set to get a new representative at the state House after 2012, as just approved by the federal government draw two incumbents' homes into one district.

Incumbent state Reps. Pat Gardner of Ansley Park and Rashad Taylor of Washington Park both live in the new 57th District, which runs from West End northeast to Ansley Park. That replaces the current districts, which put her in far east Midtown and put him west of Georgia Tech.

Midtown demographics mean the 57th is a safe Democrat seat, but it's not yet clear if neither, either or both Gardner or Taylor will run. The deadline to put names on the ballot is May 25, 2012.

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The federal Department of Justice approved the district draw on Dec. 23, though Democrats, unsatisfied with the Gardner-Taylor pairing in the GOP-led draw, may choose to fight the maps in federal court.

But if the maps continue on their smooth sail through Washington, D.C., they will be in effect for the 2012 ballot.

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Georgia, like most southern states, must submit any new political boundaries to Washington, D.C., where they are checked to make sure minority voting power is not diluted. That's a requirement applied to states where there is a history of disenfranchising minority voters.

The Georgia legislature redraws all electoral districts every ten years to equalize populations according to new census numbers. The 2011 draw is the first in living memory by a Republican-majority legislature. Their draw will likely result in more safe seats for the GOP - perhaps a three-fourths majority - in both the state House and state Senate.

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