Divide up Olympia

With the completion of the United States Census, it looks as if Washington state will be given a new congressional district, the tenth.

Census data shows that the state grew 14 percent in the last ten years for a population of more than 6.5 million.   This makes Washington the 12th largest state in the country.

Because a good portion of the growth came in southern Puget Sound, actually in Lacey and Yelm, some are calling for the creation of the new congressional district with its anchor in Thurston County.

Thurston County is currently divided.  Part of the county is in the Third Congressional District, anchored in Vancouver, the state’s fourth largest city.  The other part of the county is located in the Ninth Congressional District anchored in Tacoma.

Having Thurston County split between two congressional districts tends to draw attention away from the county.  Our Third Congressional District representative Jamie Herrera (or whatever her name is now) knows almost nothing about Olympia.

So, the argument goes, that Olympia and Thurston County, with its 250,000 residents, should be the anchor of a new Tenth Congressional District encompassing Southwest Washington.

The problem is that any congressional district with Olympia as the hub, will be a liberal district, with a tendency to elect  representatives, who will be out of touch with the rest of the blue collar residents living in Grays Harbor, the Olympic Peninsula and Mason and Lewis counties.

It’s best that Olympia and Thurston County be divided up among the Third, Ninth and Tenth congressional districts.   If nothing more, than to reflect the new realities.

Visit www.KenBalsley.com for Ken’s background and many more articles.