2010 Census & Congress

I had an“ah ha” moment this afternoon regarding the upcoming 2010 Census.

The number of Representatives in the U.S. House is set by law at 435 members. Based on new census numbers every ten years, the house districts are re-allocated between the states to create districts of even populations. Since some states have big increases in population while others may have declining populations, there is generally a shift in the number of congressional seats among the states, with some states gaining seats and others losing seats.

With record number of people are leaving states like California, New York, Michigan, and Pennsylvania for other parts of the country along with high foreclosure rates and unemployment, how is this going to impact redistricting? With the real possibility of these states losing congressional seats for them to be added elsewhere in the U.S.; it makes me wonder about elections in 2010 and 2012…