New Congressional District Proposal Would Add Members to 8th District

The Olympian's Brad Shannon reported Wednesday that the state Redistricting Commission presented a draft of its redistricting map that, among other things, adds several new members of the 8th District, of which Enumclaw is a part.

According to the draft, U.S. Rep. Adam Smith’s 9th district would shift northward to become a minority-dominated district ranging from northeast Tacoma to Renton, south Seattle, and Bellevue. The plan also preserves Tacoma as an urban anchor for Rep. Norm Dicks’ sprawling 6th district that retains the Olympic Peninsula and sends part of Rep. Dave Reichert’s 8th district over the Cascades into Eastern Washington.

Among the cities that would join the district are Ellensburg, Cle Elum, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Wenatchee and Chelan.

University Place, Lakewood and much of Pierce and Thurston counties would become part of a new 10th Congressional District. Gig Harbor and North Tacoma, however, would remain part of the 6th District.

The map has the potential to shake up the state's political landscape, according to Shannon's reporting.

The bipartisan draft map appears to leave Democrats with strong positions in five districts including (Adam) Smith and Dicks, Republicans with strong positions in four districts including (Dave) Reichert and Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler in the 3rd, which retains a band of south Thurston County, all of Southwest Washington and all of Klickitat County east of the Cascades.

Control of a new 10th Congressional District, however, is less certain.

Denny Heck, a longtime Olympia Democrat, ran in the right-leaning 3rd district last year and lost to Herrera Beutler. He filed for another run in 2012 and now appears positioned well to run in a new 10th, if the new plan passes. Similarly, Republican Dick Muri lost to Smith last year in the 9th and is raising money but has not designated which district he’ll run in; he is positioned to run in the 10th, too.

The commission has until Jan. 1 to agree on a new map, or the state Supreme Court will decide.