New Hampshire

Redistricting Process: Legislative	Population Change (since 2000): 80,684
Legislature: Democratic	Seats: 2
Governor: Maggie Hassan (D)	Members of Congress: 2D
Party Control: Democratic	2012: 52.2% Obama, 46.4% Romney

 
Map Instructions:

Three maps are available for each state. Each has new district outlines in bold.
Click on each district on the map to see more information.
Click the arrow button to switch between districts that are close together.
 
New Districts by Party Representation

Redistricting Analysis: New Hampshire

Between the 2000 and 2010 census, New Hampshire’s population increased by a moderate 6.5%, allowing the state to the state maintain its two congressional districts. New Hampshire’s 6.5% increase from a population of 1,235,786 people in 2000 to 1,316,470 in 2010 included notable growth in the state’s minority groups over the past decade. The African-American population increased by 66%, from 9,035 to 15,035 people, while the Asian and Hispanic/Latino populations nearly doubled. The population of the state identifying as Hispanic or Latino, New Hampshire’s second largest demographic, saw a 79% increase from 20,489 to 36,704 people. Comparably, the Asian population increased by 78%, from 15,931 to 28,407 people. Meanwhile, New Hampshire’s white population grew by 4%, from 1,186,851 to 1,236,050, an increase of 49,199 people.

Despite their rapid growth African American, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino populations still make up a relatively small portion of the state as a whole. According to the 2010 census data, New Hampshire’s population is 1% African American, 2% Asian, and 97% Non-Hispanic, with 3% identifying as Hispanic or Latino. In 2000, only 2% identified as Hispanic or Latino, the state was 96% white, and the populations of African Americans and Asians were each 1%.

In New Hampshire, the task of congressional redistricting is performed by the legislature, after which it is approved or vetoed by the governor. In 2011, the House in New Hampshire was composed of 103 Democrats, 288 Republicans, 2 Independents, and 2 vacant seats. In the Senate, there were 14 Democrats and 10 Republicans. New Hampshire’s Governor, John Lynch, is a Democrat.

As of December 2011, out of 767,383 registered voters, 30.2% of voters, or 231,611 people, registered with the Republican Party and 29.1%registered as Democrats. The largest group, 40.7%, or 312,621 people, registered undeclared. This balance in voter registration is reflected in the state’s role as a swing state. In the past four presidential elections, New Hampshire has never given more than 54% of the vote to one candidate. In 2008, Obama received 54% to 45% for McCain; in 2004, the state voted 50% for John Kerry versus 49% for George W. Bush; in 2000, it gave 47% to Al Gore and 48% to Bush; and in 1996, 49% of the vote went to Bill Clinton against 39% to Bob Dole (with 10% for Ross Perot). In the last three elections, New Hampshire supported both a Republican candidate (Bush in 2000) and two Democratic candidates (Kerry in 2004, Obama in 2008).

While there were no legal challenges to New Hampshire’s final Congressional redistricting plan, SB 202 was not the only plan considered. While the House ended up voting to enact the Senate’s proposal, the original proposal developed by the House, HB 1671, was favored by some for moving only 250 people into different districts, while SB 202 moved more than 19,000.

Under SB 202, the towns of Sanbornton and Tilton of Belknap County and Campton of Grafton County move from Congressional District 2 to District 1, while the towns of Deerfield and Northwood of Rockingham County and Center Harbor of Belknap County move from District 1 to District 2. With New Hampshire’s 2010 population of 1,316,470, the ideal size for each congressional district in New Hampshire is 658,235 people. Prior to SB 202, each district deviated from that ideal by 251; under the new plan, each district deviates by only 2. District 1 now has a population of 658,233, while that of District 2 is 658,237. After the 2000 census, the ideal size of each congressional district in New Hampshire was 617,893 people; this number has increased by 40,342 people over the last decade.

SB 202 Map: The grey and white shading indicates the previous boundaries of Districts 1 and 2; the black line indicates the new boundary between the districts and the areas that have shifted between districts.
 
First District

District 1 includes all of Carroll and Strafford Counties as well as most of Belknap and Rockingham Counties. It also includes the city of Manchester, in Hillsborough County, which is the largest city in New Hampshire in 2010. Manchester has a population of 108,160 and is 89.9% White, 3.6% African American, 2.3% Asian, and 7.2% Hispanic or Latino. District 1 also includes Derry, the fourth largest city in New Hampshire at 33,625.

Prior to the new district lines being drawn, District 1’s Cook PVI (Partisan Voting Index) was EVEN. This PVI was consistent with the relatively balanced levels of voter registration by political party throughout the state of New Hampshire. Based on voting data from the 2008 Presidential Election, District 1 seems likely to remain politically balanced. Belknap County, from which District 1 acquired the towns of Sanbornton and Tilton, but lost the town of Center Harbor, voted to elect Barack Obama in 2008 by an extremely small margin; Obama received only 394 votes more than his challenger, John McCain, winning by 50.2% to McCain’s 49.0%. The closeness of this vote, compared to the larger margins of victory Obama received in Belknap’s neighboring counties, indicates Belknap is one of New Hampshire’s more Republican counties. This is also supported by the voting data from the 2004 and 2000 presidential elections: in 2004, Belknap voted 55.5% for George W. Bush versus 43.6% for John Kerry, and in 2000, it gave 55.2% of its votes to Bush and only 40.0% to Al Gore.

Second District

The 2011 Cook PVI of District 2 is D+3, but it is expected to become “slightly more Republican” as a result of redistricting, according to New Hampshire Public Radio. District 2 acquired Center Harbor of Belknap County, and Northwood and Deerfield of Rockingham County. Rockingham County appears to be a more Republican county; like Belknap, it had a very closely split vote between Obama and McCain in the 2008 Presidential Election. Obama won the county with just 50.0% of the vote compared to McCain’s 49.1%, while in the 2004 election, Rockingham voted 51.7% for Bush compared to 47.5% for Kerry, and in 2000, voted 49.1% for Bush versus 45.9% for Gore.

District 2 includes the second and third largest cities in New Hampshire: Nashua of Hillsborough County and Concord of Merrimack County, respectively. Based on 2010 census data, Nashua has a population of 86,586, and is 85.8% White, 2.7% African American, 7.1% Asian, and 8.2% Hispanic or Latino. The population of Concord is less than half that of Nashua, at 40,720. It is also even more racially homogenous than Nashua. Concord’s population is 94.5% White, 1.7% African American, 2.2% Asian, and 2.0% Hispanic or Latino.

2010 Redistricting Changes:

Old Districts by Partisan Voting Index with New District Outlines
Old Districts by Party Representation with New District Outlines