Majority Minority districts and gerrymandering

Quote: Pacomartin

I don't have any problem with that. I just think there should be some non-partisan positions. In the case of magisterial judge every single candidate registers under both parties.

There are non-partisan elections in Michigan elections, such as the Michigan supreme court, but they do not appear on the primary ballots.

Only 3500 people voted in the combined primaries for the local Magisterial District Judges (MDJ), so it does not involve a lot of people. Campaign budgets barely involve making signs, and mostly consist of door to door visits.

Quote: AZDuffman

I can see that. Who cares what party the Prothonatary and Recorder of Deeds are from?

Magisterial District Judges are not the same as a prothonataries. They preside over a jurisdiction of roughly 20,000-25,000 people, and have jurisdiction over minor criminal offenses, traffic offenses, landlord/tenant matters and other civil actions where the amount claimed does not exceed $12,000. In misdemeanor and felony cases, Magisterial District Judges have jurisdiction to issue arrest and search warrants, hold preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings and set bail. They also have authority to perform marriages, handle protection from abuse matters and issue subpoenas. They also may impose summary punishments for criminal contempt. A Magisterial District Judge is available 24 hours a day to serve the public with all Magisterial District Judges serving night and weekend duty on a rotating basis.

In Nevada they are simply non-partisan positions. In Pennsylvania most of them cross file for both parties so that they get lucky and win both primaries. Last year, 5 of the 6 candidates for MDJ in my county won both primaries. They technically run in November but they are unopposed.
In only one case in our county did a different candidate win Republican and Democratic primaries. One won the Democratic ballot with 51.2 percent of the vote and the other took the Republican side with 54.72 percent. So they had to go to a general election in November.

Quote: Pacomartin

Magisterial District Judges are not the same as a prothonataries. They preside over a jurisdiction of roughly 20,000-25,000 people, and have jurisdiction over minor criminal offenses, traffic offenses, landlord/tenant matters and other civil actions where the amount claimed does not exceed $12,000. In misdemeanor and felony cases, Magisterial District Judges have jurisdiction to issue arrest and search warrants, hold preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings and set bail. They also have authority to perform marriages, handle protection from abuse matters and issue subpoenas. They also may impose summary punishments for criminal contempt. A Magisterial District Judge is available 24 hours a day to serve the public with all Magisterial District Judges serving night and weekend duty on a rotating basis.

I know what they are. When I was younger a few friends had to pay them a visit. Used to be called a Justice of the Peace I believe. But party means little. What will get them further is not enforcing stupid laws on good people but at the same time keeping the local hoods in line.

Quote: AZDuffman

I know what they are. When I was younger a few friends had to pay them a visit. Used to be called a Justice of the Peace I believe. But party means little. What will get them further is not enforcing stupid laws on good people but at the same time keeping the local hoods in line.

The PA constitution called them Justice of Peace, but the name got changed about 40 years ago.

Currently, the Clark and Washoe County justices of peace must be licensed Nevada lawyers, admitted to practice, and qualified electors. In the rural counties, however, the only qualifications for candidates are that they must be high school graduates, or have an equivalent education, and be qualified electors. The county voters elect their justices of the peace, in non-partisan elections, to a six-year term, or the county commission may appoint a qualified person to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term

Another poster on a different forum said that the shift of 54 from Democratic to Republican seats (41 was necessary to gain control of the House) was too broad and to nationwide to blame on majority minority districts.

I pointed out that in 1994 34 Democratic incumbent congressmen lost their seats to Republican challenges, while African American Democrats gained one seat (in addition to the first African American Republican winning candidate since 1932).

There was 11% shift in white males from the Democratic to Republican party that year, and a 6% shift in white females.

6 Washington
5 North Carolina
4 Ohio
3 California
3 Georgia
3 Illinois
3 Indiana
2 Arizona
2 Texas
2 Florida
2 Kansas
2 New Jersey
2 Oklahoma
2 Tennessee
1 Idaho
1 Iowa
1 Kentucky
1 Michigan
1 Mississippi
1 Nebraska
1 Nevada
1 New Hampshire
1 New York
1 Oregon
1 South Carolina
1 Utah
1 Virginia
1 Wisconsin
-1 Rhode Island

Even the former confederacy was only 17 congressmen shift w/ three states (Arkansas, Louisiana,Alabama) at zero net shift
5 North Carolina
3 Georgia
2 Texas
2 Florida
2 Tennessee
1 Mississippi
1 South Carolina
1 Virginia

I have to admit that it is a pretty convincing argument that the huge jump in MM districts were just one of multiple factors.

TO ANY ONE WHO JUST DROPPED IN
The theme of this thread was did the creation of large number minority majority districts in 1992 make it harder for white Democrats to win an election because the MM districts suck out the support they needed from the other districts. We observe that Georgia in 1990 had one Republican congressman (Newt Gingrich) and one African American Democratic congressmen. By 1994 there were three African American Democratic congressmen and zero white Democratic congressmen. Today Georgia has 4 African American Democratic congressmen all in districts with over 50% African Americans, but the other 10 congressmen are white Republicans.

The ratio of non-African American to African American Democratic congressmen changed from 9:1 to 4:1 in just four years from 1990 election to 1994 election.