Every ten years, the Constitution requires a census to be taken and Congressional districts to be reapportioned. That is, Congressional districts must be reconfigured so that each district in a state contains roughly the same number of people. That is one of the ways we guarantee that every citizen gets equal representation. The last census was conducted in 2010, with data made available to each state in 2011 so that they could draw new lines for their state's Congressional districts.

To help you understand how this might affect you, we've prepared a map below where you can roughly see how the new district lines compare to the current district lines. The current 15th District is shown in blue, and the new 13th District is shown in red. They overlap to create a purple area. Keep in mind that current Congressional representation will not change until 2013.

This means that if you live in the purple area, you will have no change in your Congressional district between 2012 and 2013 and probably won't notice much of a difference. If you live in one of the blue areas, you will vote in a new district in 2012. However, it is important to note that I am still your Congressman until January 5, 2013. Our office is still here to be your liaison to the federal government and we will continue to work for you until then. Conversely, if you live in the red or purple areas, you will be voting in the 13th Congressional District elections for the first time in 2012.

Should you have any addition questions on redistricting please do not hesitate to contact my office.