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NEWS RELEASE

Date: November 8, 2000
Media Contact: Gene Rose (303) 364-7700

Neither Party Gains Redistricting Edge in 2000 Elections

DENVER -- The roster of those responsible for redrawing all 435 U.S. House districts and 7,424 state legislative districts was established during Tuesday's elections.

"The redistricting wars will now begin in earnest and it appears that the election had little effect on who will have the upper hand," said NCSL election analyst Tim Storey. "Both parties can claim victories by virtue of holding on to the status quo in some critical states."

The two biggest prizes were the Pennsylvania House and the Texas House. Republicans held the Pennsylvania House and will control redrawing the state's large number of congressional districts. Republicans maintained control of the Pennsylvania Senate and Gov. Tom Ridge is also Republican. Democrats maintained their majority in the Texas House preventing Republicans from dominating the line drawing process in the Lone Star state, which is expected to gain two new seats in the U.S. House.

Republicans gained a seat at the congressional redistricting table in Missouri by gaining a tie in the state Senate, or perhaps a one seat advantage depending on how some expected vacancies get filled. On the other side of the political fence, Democrats will have a say in Colorado congressional redistricting as a result of taking the Colorado Senate for the first time since 1962. Colorado is projected to gain one seat in Congress when census data is reported to the President in late December.

Perhaps the biggest redistricting story of the election was the passage of an initiative in Arizona that will shift the critical line drawing process form the legislature to an independent commission. Including Arizona, six states that will use a commission for Congressional redistricting in 2001 and state legislative redistricting in 12 states will be conducted by a board or commission. In the rest of the states, legislatures are charged with the task.

Republicans are in considerably better position for redistricting going into this round than they were in 1990 when they only controlled six state legislatures. Republicans now hold both chambers of the legislature in 17 states.

"The 2000 elections were the first battle in the redistricting war that will take place over the next two years," Storey said. "Even though a party controls the whole process in a state does not mean that they will get their preferred map. The courts will inevitably play a key role before all is said and done."

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