Much of Whatcom County will now share a representative in Congress with parts of Seattle and Everett now that the state redistricting commission has finalized new district lines.

All of Whatcom County outside Bellingham is now in the first congressional district, which stretches 100 miles south to include Skagit, Snohomish and portions of King counties. Point Roberts, along with most of Whatcom County, had previously been in the second congressional district, represented by Democratic Representative Rick Larsen.

Larsen, however, will still represent the second district until January 2013. After that, the newly elected first congressional district representative will take over.

Washington gained a 10th congressional district in 2010, laying out a year’s worth of work for the Washington State Redistricting Commission, commission communications director Genevieve O’Sullivan said. The commission, comprising two Democrats, two Republicans and a non-voting chair, worked throughout 2011 to reorganize Washington’s congressional and legislative districts so that they had as close to the same populations as possible, she explained.

Since Washington gained a tenth congressional district, the state’s existing nine had to lose population. Redistricting commissioners analyzed population figures and census demographics to determine how best to maintain equitable representation while decreasing each district’s size, O’Sullivan explained.

 “The whole state shifted quite dramatically in the way districts are drawn for that reason,” she said.”

This shift left the first district without a representative, with six Democrats and two Republicans throwing in their names as candidates for the first’s vacant congressional seat.

Whatcom Democrats chair Natalie McClendon said she generally agrees with the new boundaries the redistricting commission has drawn. Referencing the six Democrats who have so far thrown in their hats, McClendon said the race will feature some interesting and impressive candidates.

 “It’s going to be a free-for-all,” she said.

Since Washington runs a top-two primary election, voters in the first district are not guaranteed one Democratic and one Republican candidate in the November general election. Despite this, McClendon said Democrats and Republicans she’s talked to consider the new first a balanced district, and she said she is hoping to help Democrats understand their candidates closer to the August 7 primary.

The lack of an incumbent in the first means the race will most likely attract national attention, since Democrats and Republicans have an effectively equal chance of securing the spot, McClendon explained. This means a great deal of campaign contributions from outside the state will be poured into this election, just as out-of-state money helped influence the 2010 congressional race, she said.

Whatcom Republicans chair Luanne Van Werven said the first congressional district will slightly favor Republicans because the district now includes a great deal of rural farmland in Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties.

Republican candidates for the first include Snohomish County Commissioner John Koster, who ran an unsuccessful bid for Larsen’s seat in 2010 and Kirkland resident James Watkins. Though not preferring a specific candidate, Van Werven said having a member of congress who lives in Whatcom County would be a  boon to the area.

 “Having a congressional candidate from Whatcom County [will be] a rare privilege,” she said.

Despite the many candidates, Van Werven said the inclusion of Whatcom County in the first congressional district could dilute its influence nationally. Whatcom County went from comprising 33 percent of the second district’s population to just 17 percent of the first’s. Van Werven said she fears the first will become King-County-centric and neglect the needs of the more rural counties.

 “We will share the same the same congressman as Bill Gates,” Van Werven said.

However, Van Werven said the 2012 elections will ultimately show how good of a job the redistricting commission did.
“If the first elects a Republican, five Republicans [and five Democrats] will be sent to D.C.,” she said. “If the two parties can split the state delegation, than I think the redistricting will have done it’s job.”

The new district boundaries will be finalized on February 7. The new boundaries will be in place until the 2020 census.