Mississippi Likely To Stay At Four Congressional Seats

The National Conference of State Legislatures recently estimated what the Electoral College will look like after the 2010 census.

Mississippi lost a seat in 2000, which led to a highly partisan redistricting fight that pitted Rep. Chip Pickering against fellow Rep. Ronnie Shows in the newly formed 3rd Congressional District. Pickering went on to win handily.

This time around, the drama that is redistricting will just be relegated to seats in the state legislature, which we will follow extensively when that begins. The NCSL estimates Mississippi will not lose or gain Congressional seats.

The states that stand to lose seats this time around are mainly located in the Northeast and industrial Midwest. This includes Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The lone exception is Louisiana, a state that lost many citizens following Hurricane Katrina.

The Sun Belt looks to be the beneficiary of the new seats. Texas is projected to pick up three seats. Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and Utah look like they will each gain one seat.