US with Canadian Ridings

[7,052,770]

Do the ridings have to be contiguous?  I'm working on Mississippi right now.

[7,052,770]

My first attempt has only 5 majority black districts out of 26.  (Not intentional -- just how the map came out.)  I'm guessing that one would get rejected.  Back to the drawing board...

[7,052,770]

Well, attempt #2 gave 6 majority black districts, and to get there I had to make a couple ugly and non-contiguous districts.  Pretend there's a highway connecting them all together if necessary:



Majority black districts in bold. White majority Obama district is italicized. Numbered starting in top left, going left to right, as best I can:

Num   Name
1   Southhaven - Olive Branch (Pale Blue)
2   Hernando - Holly Springs (Lime)
3   Corinth (Pink)
4   Clarksdale (Red)
5   Oxford (Royal Blue)
6   Tupelo (Grey)
7   Grenada - Houston - Aberdeen (Cyan)
8   Greenville (Steel Grey)
9   Kosciusko - Louisville (Steel Green)
10   Golden Triangle (Maroon)
11   Canton - Yazoo - North Vicksburg (Forest Green)
12   (contrived non-contiguous black district East) (Black)
13   North Jackson - Clinton - Madison (Blue)
14   West Jackson (Yellow)
15   (contrived white district) (Orange)
16   (contrived non-contiguous black district West) (Magenta)
17   Pearl - Brandon (Aqua)
18   Collins - Magee (Green)
19   Meridian (White)
20   Natchez - McComb (Steel Pink)
21   Columbia - Tylertown - Picayune (Gold)
22   Hattiesburg (Purple)
23   Waynesboro - Lucedale (Light Blue)
24   Bay St. Louis (Royal Purple)
25   Gulfport - Biloxi (Greypink)
26   Pascagoula - Ocean Springs (Dark Grey)


All six black districts should comfortably elect a Democrat, no matter what.  Republicans could contest Golden Triangle every time, but a Democrat would usually win.

Republicans would normally win the other 20 seats, although Gene Taylor would probably win the Bay St. Louis riding.

[7,052,770]

How in the world is 16 majority black??  That appears to be the white parts of Jackson and a piece of mostly white Rankin County.
For that matter, I'm surprised 15 is majority black too.

I can promise you that putting ALL of Hinds and ALL of Madison counties into majority black districts would not fly.

[7,052,770]

Oh I realize the Jackson whites are packed into a few northeastern districts, but those are the richest, most powerful people in the entire state.  They will NOT be put into a majority black district. Period. Ever.  Same goes for Madison.