Gilmer County saw little change in the state redistricting maps.
In the state house and state senate maps, Gilmer remains in Georgia House District 7 served by Speaker David Ralston (R) and Georgia Senate District 51 served by Majority Whip Sen. Steve Gooch (R).
In the U.S. congressional district map, Gilmer again remained in the previous district, Georgia’s 9th, served by U.S. Congressman Andrew Clyde (R).
The twist in the congressional district was Rep. Clyde’s home county of Jackson was drawn out of the district and into Georgia’s 10th, along with Elbert, Clarke, Dawson, Pickens, Madison and Forsyth counties.
Rep. Clyde responded in a Facebook statement.
“As many of you may have heard, my home county, Jackson County, was drawn out of the 9th District,” he wrote. “There have been a lot of rumors floating around, and I would like to address them directly. I will be running for re-election in Georgia’s 9th Congressional District, period.”
The United States Constitution mandates a representative live in the state they represent, but not necessarily the district.
Redistricting occurs every 10 years following the United States Census. Congressional seats are apportioned to each state with some states gaining seats and others losing them based on population. Each state must use the U.S. Census figures to balance out congressional districts so roughly the same number of citizens are served in each.
Georgia gained an estimated one million people in the decade between census counts.
Rep. Clyde said he believed the reasons given for his home county being drawn out of the district were false.
“I believe this was a purposeful decision made by a handful of establishment politicians in Atlanta,” Rep. Clyde said. “What I never anticipated was the unprecedented act of being drawn out of my own district by a Republican Lieutenant Governor and a Republican Speaker of the House.”
Gov. Brian Kemp signed the new maps into law at the end of last year.
The maps were immediately challenged in court by several different organizations with no outcome at this point.
“I think the maps, notwithstanding the rhetoric, are fair. They very carefully followed the law,” said Speaker Ralston in a story about the court challenges in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “They follow the Voting Rights Act. Now we’ll see what happens.”