Redistricting Puts Bachmann In Blue District — But She'll Continue To Run In Old One

[cal04]

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/redistricting-puts-bachmann-in-blue-district-but-shell

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), a Tea Party favorite who made an unsuccessful run for president, has just encountered a slight complication in her re-election race to the House.

A judicial panel in Minnesota has released a new Congressional map for the state. The map shows that Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann's hometown of Stillwater, which was previously near the border of her heavily Republican 6th District, has now been put into the St. Paul-based 4th District of Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum.

However, Bachmann tells the Associated Press that she will run for re-election in the 6th, rather than the 4th, and thus avoid the member vs. member match against McCollum.

There has not yet been any confirmation of whether or not she will move. But it should be noted that the United States Constitution only requires state-level residency, not district-level, for member of the House. And Bachmann could feasibly continue to run in the district she has represented for six years, even though her hometown is no longer included within it.

[zbdent]

1. I see the old adage "The rules apply to thee, not to me" still applies

to Republicans ...

Wouldn't surprise me if they somehow manage to allow the psycho to run in a district she no longer has residence in ...

[hfojvt]

7. it turns out there is no law against that

The constitution does not mention districts. Thus a Congressperson only has to reside in the state. Surprised the heck out of me. I had an opponent who didn't live in my district. And he still got about 25% of the vote in the primary, even won a county.

I didn't even think about it. Kucinich could do the same thing, except that most of his old district is probably in his new district.

[Bandit]

12. ALL elections are State or local.. There is really no such thing as a Federal election

There are federal positions that are elected in state wide elections, but I never heard of any Federal election. I am fairly sure the State has laws in regard to this....

[dsc]

13. nope and they can't

the requirements for Congress are laid out in the Constitution and can't be altered.

[zbdent]

14. so why even have "redistricting" then???

seems like, if this is true, then the Repugs are wasting taxpayer dollars doing "redistricting". Announce that anybody in any location can run for any "district", whether or not they've lived there or not.

I remember all the fuss that was made when Hillary made her residence in New York State ... lots of hullabaloo about how she was a "carpetbagger" ...

[onenote]

16. Redistricting decides who can vote in a particular district, not who can run.

[hfojvt]

17. redistricting applies to all offices

except things like cities and school districts. But legislative house and senate districts are redrawn and so are county commission districts.

As far as re-districting. It is clearly an advantage to have deep roots in a district. Name recognition is key to winning elections. Having lots of friends and family and neighbors who will vote for you helps to win an election. A mayor of Salina who runs for Congress in his home district will be known, and perhaps liked, by the people of Salina, especially if he/she did a good job as mayor. If that same person tries to run in Topeka or Kansas City, the locals there will not known who they are and he/she will get clobbered by a local city council member who is better known.

I saw the same thing in a school board race. This guy called up to concede the election to my dad, and he complained "I don't know why I didn't do better in the Washington school district, I campaigned hard there." and I was thinking "you moron, we LIVE in the Washington school district. Those are our neighbors and people who know my mom from the PTA and have kids who are friends with our kids, and know me from my paper route there. You aren't going to beat us on our home turf."

It always helps to live in the district where you are running. For Bachman though, she is already well known, having represented that district for many years. She will probably be hurt by losing her home county. She probably did better there than in most other counties. And her opponent is likely to attack her as a carpetbagger with some success. Some voters will not support her district jumping. Myself, I was not happy about Hillary's carpetbagging. I even published a letter in the Syracuse paper about it.

[leftyohiolib]

2. ya know, every time i say they cant do that they end up being allowed to do that

[Dawson Leery]

3. Yellow, just like Allen West.

Neither has what it takes to stay and fight.

[RockaFowler]

5. Just gonna post that

And now the Republican Sheriff of Martin County (Crowder - he was one of many Republicans who put out commercials against Rick Scott and for Alex Sink in the last election) is running against him. And when I call West a Coward - he is the absolute biggest coward around. He doesn't live in his current district - he lives in Debbie Wasserman-Schultz's. Now he wants to move to a different district that may be more favorable to him. COWARD

[hifiguy]

4. Betty would CRUSH her in the 4th

It's as blue as blue can be.

[MineralMan]

9. The 4th district has been expanded in

area quite a bit. It now also includes Woodbury, Oakdale, Stillwater, and several townships. Woodbury, in particular, is pretty Republican, but that may well be balanced in part by Oakdale, which is a blue collar city. Stillwater is a mix, although much of its population is recent and living in newer developments, so I'm not sure of its politics.

Still, the St. Paul portion of CD-4 is strongly blue. We elected Betty McCollum with a 60% majority in 2010. I think it will all work out just fine.

[cyberswede]

6. Huh - state-level residency?

In Iowa, redistricting caused democrats Dave Loebsack and Bruce Braley to be in the same district, so Loebsack moved in order to stay in his current district (so he wouldn't have to run against Braley).

Senators only need state-level residency, but I thought Members of the House of Representatives had to live in the district they represent. Did I misunderstand all these years?

[hfojvt]

8. no, it is a strange loophole, and it rarely happens.

Any other office, you have to live in the district. School board, city council, county commission, state rep, state senator, etc., etc. But not Congress.

The Constitution does not specify districts

"The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.

No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen."


Although, I might say because the State legislature requires State Representatives to live in their districts that "Qualifications requisite" should include a residency requirement, but presumably SCOTUS has disagreed, although I cannot cite the case.

[RBInMaine]

10. I thought she was getting out? Ah well, hope a good Dem may still be able to beat her.

[bluestate10]

15. I don't know whether Tarryl Clarke is still in Bachmann's district.

Clarke ran a strong race against Bachmann in 2010. Clarke is running again, but one of her mailings implied that Clarke will be running in a bluer district than the 6th, against a teabagger that won by lying about creating jobs during the 2010 election cycle. I am confident that Clarke will beat Bachmann in a rematch in the 6th, if Clarke is still in that district. If Clarke ends up running in another district, my wish is that another strong democrat will step up in the 6th and defeat Bachmann. Bachmann has never been weaker, she is a joke in reality.

[mnmoderatedem]

11. Please!!!

let this be her political death! I'm tired of her constantly embarrassing my state!

Lamentably, she's still not in my district...