DPG Statement on State House Passage of Republicans’ State Senate Map

In the Georgia General Assembly today, House Republicans passed Senate Republicans’ proposed State Senate map, cementing for ten years a map that received an  “F” grade for fairness from non-partisan experts despite pleas from Georgians to slow the process and allow for meaningful public dialogue. In response, Scott Hogan, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Georgia, released the following statement.

“The Senate map that House Republicans passed today fails Georgians on multiple fronts and does not reflect our state whatsoever. Georgia is evenly divided politically, and our state’s population growth over the past decade was powered by one million new non-white Georgians. Republicans’ State Senate map completely ignores both of these realities by giving the GOP fifty-nine percent of State Senate seats and neglecting to add a single majority-minority district.

“Georgia voters asked for fair maps and transparency, but Republicans have turned the once-a-decade redistricting process into a sham to cement their own power and silence Georgians’ voices. 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.”

Critics have slammed Republicans not just for their skewed map, which non-partisan experts have given an “F” grade for fairness, but also for a “hasty process” that fails to incorporate feedback or provide enough time for public review. Meanwhile, Republicans have refused to answer basic questions about their map proposal, which diminishes the political power of voters of color and creates a “significant Republican advantage.”

Details about Republicans’ Georgia Senate map:

• Republicans’ Senate map fails to provide fair representation to voters of color.
  • It contains only 20 districts in which minorities are a majority of the voting age population.
    • Specifically, it targets the only Asian-American woman in the Senate by reducing the minority voting age population of SD-48 by 15 percent. In doing so, it splits up communities of interest in the existing district.  
    • In contrast, Georgia Senate Democrats’ plan contains 22 districts in which minorities are a majority of residents, and 15 in which Black voters are a majority of the voting age population.
  • It contains only 14 districts in which Black voters are a majority of the voting age population.
    • Specifically, it reduces the Black voting age population of SD-17 by 10 percent – eliminating the ability of Black voters to elect a candidate of choice.
    • Instead of decreasing the number of Black voters in SD-17, it can easily be drawn as a compact majority Black district as demonstrated in Georgia Senate Democrats’ plan.
• Republicans’ Senate map fails to fairly represent the partisan makeup of Georgia’s electorate.
  • This proposal fails to give voters an opportunity to elect a Senate delegation that reflects Georgians’ political preferences, with the non-partisan analysis saying it creates a “significant Republican advantage.”
  • Georgia is equally divided politically, which we saw clearly in the last election cycle, but this map contains 33 districts that likely elect Republicans and only 23 that likely elect Democrats. 
    • In contrast, Georgia Senate Democrats’ plan contains 27 districts that likely elect Republicans, 25 districts that likely elect Democrats, and 4 competitive districts, which was given an “A” grade for partisan fairness by non-partisan analysis.

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