Not to mention, it's virtually impossible to draw a Republican district in MA anyway, since the Republican voters are fairly spread out throughout the state. I mean, maybe you could make MA-09 a Tilt D rather than Lean D district, but that's about it.
It's possible. Just really ugly. I've drawn a map with 2 with one snaking from Chester around Springfield and up to dracut and another one from Braintree down around Brockton then running through Foxboro out to around Douglas. Like I said ugly as hell. Would post it but idk how to 😂
They could put the metrowest into 1 district rather than blast it into smithereens.
Still wouldn't help the Republicans much. The reason the current map looks so weird is so that the incumbent Democrats won't lose their primaries.
Per 2008 figures, the MetroWest is to the right of any of Massachusetts 9 Congressional districts by a point or so, but is about 100k short of population. And due to population distribution, such a district may need to add areas Southeast of Worcester (2 districts fit from Worcester directed west!).
The resulting district is 2 points and as many as 4 points to the right of Massachusetts 6th district, depending on choices made.
Bolded the biggest reach you're making here. The success of this strategy would depend entirely on whether or not the 2016 mini-realignment is permanent.
