Fact Sheet: Georgia Republicans’ Proposed Congressional Map Silences Millions of Georgians’ Voices

Yesterday, Republicans in the Georgia General Assembly released their proposed congressional map to the public just hours before bringing it to a committee hearing for review, rushing the once-a-decade legislation without giving the public sufficient time to weigh in. Though Georgia is evenly divided politically and likely already a majority-minority state, Republicans’ map gives the GOP a significant advantage and minimizes the voting power of people of color.

“The congressional map Republicans proposed is yet another disgraceful attempt by the GOP to silence millions of Georgians’ voices for the sake of clinging to their dwindling power,” Scott Hogan, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Georgia, said. “Republicans are scared to death of Georgia voters, and they know the only way they can win is by rigging the system – it’s no wonder why the GOP is rushing their map through the state legislature before voters have a chance to weigh in. Georgians deserve better, and Democrats will not stop fighting for fair maps that reflect our state.”

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.

The only incumbent Republicans’ congressional map targets is a Black woman.

• 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.

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