A GOP-chaired House committee on redistricting has released the first map showing how Missouri’s congressional districts may soon look.
Missouri is losing a seat in Congress, dropping from nine to eight, based on figures from the 2010 census.
The House version of the congressional map eliminates what’s currently the Third District, represented by Democrat Russ Carnahan, and places the entire city of St. Louis and most of North County into the First District, represented by fellow Democrat Lacy Clay.
The rest of the St. Louis area would fall into districts currently represented by Republicans: Todd Akin, Jo Ann Emerson and Blaine Luetkemeyer. State Representative John Diehl (R, Town and Country) chairs the House Redistricting Committee:
“This map was not drawn in a back room with a bunch of congressmen getting together (and) agreeing on something, okay?" Diehl said. "We considered everybody’s input and then tried to draw a map which was fair.”
Diehl says he expects a committee vote on the map early next week. Mike Talboy (D, Kansas City) is the House Minority Floor Leader.
"Obviously it is always going to be unfortunate when they target a member of, for me, the Democratic delegation," Talboy said. "If I was targeting a member of their delegation, they would probably feel the same way.”
Other changes would place virtually all of northern Missouri under the district represented by Republican Congressman Sam Graves. The district represented by freshman Republican Vicky Hartzler would lose the conservative-leaning State Capital, Jefferson City, and pick up the liberal-leaning college town of Columbia.
The Missouri Senate is expected to release its redistricting proposal next week.
