Chasing the Dream

The year 2020 is a census year, U.S. population shifts will be revealed . As a result, seven states are projected to gain one or more congressional seats, while ten states will lose one. This has political implications The Hill reports:

The red-state leader is Texas, with a projected pickup of three congressional seats following the 2020 census — and that after gaining four congressional seats after the 2010 election. Florida will pick up two seats, and Arizona, Colorado, Montana, North Carolina and Oregon will each gain one, according to the analysis.

Of the seven states gaining seats, five voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Of the 10 states losing seats, five voted for Trump and five for Hillary Clinton.

But two of those five losing states that voted for Trump — Michigan and Pennsylvania — surprised most analysts since they have been blue-leaners for several years. And West Virginia is losing population in part because of a struggling state economy that has been so dependent on coal.

Texas will gain two or three congressional seats after 2020, while California will likely lose one. That’s a big deal for California, which has never lost a congressional seat. It is a tacit repudiation of California’s over-the-top taxes and policies. Some of the other blue states, such as New York and Illinois, have been bleeding people for years.

Americans are voting with their feet for lower taxes and home prices. They seek business-friendly policies and a polite indifference to snowflake obsessions with pronouns, etc. It’s important those who move leave blue state politics behind.