The underrated(and short lived) Democratic gerrymander of Georgia in 2002

[Mr.Phips]

In 1991, the Democratic "gerrymander" of Georgia was probably the biggest dummymander in history.  It overpacked black voters into three districts and forced white Democratic incumbents into districts that were heavily Republican at the Presidential level.  Democrats did not make this mistake in 2002.

In 2002, the state gained two new seats and Democrats were determined to convert their 3-8 deficit in the delegation to a 7-6 majority.  They smartly packed six Republican incumbents into super Republican districts, with the weakest one voting 64% for Bush in 2000.  They also shored up Sanford Bishop in the Southwestern part of the state.  Additionally, they created two new strongly Democratic(but not too Democratic) seats with near black majorities(one in the Southern Atlanta suburbs and another that ran up the coast from Savannah to Augusta and went inland to pick up the college town of Athens).  They also made Saxby Chambliss' seat(the 8th district) much more Democratic(and black) by extending it west and east and cutting out the heavily Republican southern part of the district. 

In addition, they made Bob Barr's 7th district about 10 points more Democratic by excising a lot of fast growing exurbia, picking up Democratic territory along the Alabama border and then dipping into the black parts of Cobb county through a narrow corridor.  This district was renamed the 11th. 

The problem for Democrats here was not there line drawing, but the fact that 2002 was a horrible Democratic year in Georgia, moreso than in any other state in the country.  Governor Roy Barnes lost reelection handily after leading by double digits in the polls and Max Cleland lost handily as well after leading handily in most polls. 

Even with all of this, Democrats managed to pick up Chambliss' old seat(renamed the 3rd) and came within a hair of capturing the new 11th and almost certainly would have won if former Congressman Buddy Darden had won the Democratic primary rather than limousine liberal Roger Kahn, who was the complete wrong kind of Democrat here. 

Additionally, they would have won the strongly Democratic 12th district had they not run a criminal there and even then, they won the seat in 2004.

However, this gerrymander was short lived, as the courts overturned the Democratic gerrymandered state legislative districts, giving Republicans control of the legislature for the first time since reconstruction in 2004.  This led to Republicans redrawing the Congressional lines in 2005 and making the 11th district safe for Repubicans and severelely weakening the Democrats' hold on the 3rd(renumbered the 8th again).