Democratic Party of Georgia Statement on Final Passage of Republicans’ Congressional Map

Today, Georgia Republicans passed along party lines their proposed congressional map, just days after it was released to the public and despite numerous concerns from voters. In response, Scott Hogan, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Georgia, released the following statement:

“Georgians asked for a transparent redistricting process and fair maps, and Republicans have failed tremendously on both fronts by ramming through the legislature a map that does not reflect the Georgia of today. Georgia is becoming more diverse and more evenly divided politically, but Republicans’ map disproportionately advantages one political party and diminishes the political power of people of color. For months, Georgia Republicans have been hellbent on suppressing the will of Georgia voters, and the GOP map passed along party lines today will silence Georgians’ voices even more. 

“It has been disgusting to watch Republicans turn the once-a-decade redistricting process into a sham. Depriving Georgians of the ability to elect their candidates of choice is an egregious assault on our democracy, and it shows just how little Republicans care about Georgia voters. While Republicans are hellbent on rigging the system for their own partisan political gain, Democrats will not stop fighting for the fair maps that Georgians deserve.”

Background on Republicans’ proposed congressional map:

Republicans’ congressional map does not reflect the partisan makeup of Georgia.

• Georgia is evenly divided politically, yet 9 of the 14 districts (64%) were drawn to favor the GOP.

Republicans’ congressional map minimizes the voting power of people of color.

• Georgia is likely already a majority-minority state, yet only 5 of the 14 proposed districts are majority-minority districts.
  
  • The growth in Georgia’s population over the last decade was driven by 1 million new people of color, while the non-Hispanic white population in Georgia decreased between 2010 and 2020.
    
• District 6 is made whiter and less competitive. 
  
  • The Black, Hispanic, and Asian population all decreased, while the white population increased from 58% to 67%.
• District 2 is redrawn in a way that reduces the Black voting age population below 50%. 
  
  • Democrats’ proposed congressional map demonstrated that this district can remain a majority-Black district, yet Republicans’ map chooses not to.
    
• Several majority-minority counties are unnecessarily split up. In multiple areas, voters of color are moved from districts where they have the opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice to majority white districts.
  
  • Cobb County, which is a majority-minority county, is split between four congressional districts, with three of those districts being majority white. Black voters in Southwest Cobb county are put in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s district.
    
  • Gwinnett County, which is a majority-minority county, is split between three districts, with two being majority white. Many voters of color in Gwinnett are moved into the majority white 9th district.
    
  • Henry County, which is majority-minority, is split between three districts.

Republicans’ congressional map targets two women incumbents.

• Congressional District 6, currently represented by Rep. Lucy McBath, is diverse and the most competitive district in the existing map. Republicans chose to make the district whiter and uncompetitive. 
  
  • Unfortunately, this is indicative of a pattern with Georgia Republicans. The only incumbent Republicans targeted in the State Senate map passed by the legislature is the lone Asian-American woman in the Senate.
    
• Republicans drew Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux out of their proposed 7th Congressional District, which she currently represents.

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