Population growth could position Oregon to add congressional seat [View all]

Population growth could position Oregon to add congressional seat

By Elliot Njus | The Oregonian/OregonLive
on December 21, 2016 at 12:56 PM, updated December 21, 2016 at 1:54 PM

Oregon's super-charged growth, with new residents arriving at a rate not seen since the 1990s, could boost its chances to add a congressional seat in 2020.

The Census Bureau said Tuesday that Oregon had grown by 1.71 percent in the past year, making it the sixth-fastest-growing state by percentage. Its 69,000 new residents also make it the ninth-fastest-growing state in absolute numbers.

A report from Virginia-based Election Data Services Inc. says Oregon is on track for another congressional seat, joining Florida, North Carolina and Texas.

Going from five to six seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, along with Oregon's two seats in the U.S. Senate, would also give the Democratic-leaning state slightly more weight in presidential contests.

Oregon would move from seven electoral votes to eight, although experts say that gain would likely be offset by growth in Republican states....


Read more:
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/12/population_growth_could_positi.html