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http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/0...66037326758.txt

Officials: New political boundaries could hurt Dems

By Matt Field
Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, February 10, 2011 5:07 PM CST

MICHIGAN CITY — As officials at the Statehouse begin to take up the process of redistricting political boundaries, local officials say Democrats stand to lose.

With Republicans in control of state government, heavily Democratic Michigan City may be drawn into the liberal-leaning 1st Congressional District, where more Democrats may not help Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville.

“It may be hard for Republican leaders to resist putting Michigan City in with the Lake County congressional district,” State Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, wrote in an e-mail Tuesday. “I hope they don’t, but elections have consequences, and they have the power to seek a partisan advantage in redistricting.”

Likewise, Mayor Chuck Oberlie predicted political calculations will come into play.

“If people drawing the lines on the map were to totally not look at anything except the number of the population, then I think you could end up at true districts,” he said, “but that’s not what happens.”

He didn’t fault Republicans, however.

“It happens regardless of who is there,” he said.

Michigan City was part of the 1st District until the last redistricting in 2001, Oberlie said.

Having Michigan City Democratic support might not help Visclosky, Oberlie said, but not having it could hurt U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly.

“It would certainly make it tougher,” he said.

Donnelly, D-Granger, said he’s hoping Republicans keep him where he is.

“Gov. Daniels has said that politics shouldn’t be a factor in the drawing of the maps, and I take him at his word,” he wrote in an e-mail.

Donnelly prevailed over Republican challenger Jackie Walorski by a narrow margin last year after a hard-fought campaign.

State Sen. Jim Arnold, D-La Porte, said there’s not much he could do to stop Republicans from redistricting as they please.

“They’ll draw it to the way they see fit, and they have the votes to implement it,” he said.

State Rep. Tom Dermody, R-La Porte, did not respond to a request for comment.

The new congressional districts will be in place by the 2012 elections, according to the Indiana Secretary of State’s office. Districts have to be as close in population as possible.