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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spin Control

Will WA get a 10th House seat?

Set next Tuesday aside for marking something other than the Winter Solstice. It will also be the day Washington state finds out whether it will add one more congressional district.

The U.S. Census Bureau will announce the national headcount and the state-by-state breakdowns. From that, states learn how many congressional districts they will have for the next decade.

The national population is estimated to be between 305.7 million and 312.7 million, up from 281.4 million in 2000, and the biggest gains are in the South and West.

Washington is reportedly on the cusp of having grown enough to get a new congressional seat, going from nine to 10...and won't that make for fun line-drawing by the state commission that will figure out those boundaries next year?

Idaho is expected to stay steady at two House seats.



The Spokesman-Review's political team keeps a critical eye on local, state and national politics.