Redistricting 延期するs 追加する to 民主党員s' worries about keeping U.S. House
By James Oliphant
WASHINGTON, May 23 (Reuters) - For the last two 選挙s, 民主党員s regarded Brian Fitzpatrick as one of the U.S. 議会's most 攻撃を受けやすい 共和国の／共和党のs, but both times they failed to unseat him, even when his 郊外の Philadelphia 地区 投票（する）d for Democratic 大統領 Joe Biden.
He is again on their 的 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） for the Nov. 8, 2022, midterm 選挙s - which will 決定する whether Biden's 民主党員s keep 支配（する）／統制する of 議会 - but Democratic 公式の／役人s say finding a suitable 候補者 could be a challenge because the 国境s of the 地区 are in flux and could be for months.
"That's a 重要な 関心," said John Cordisco, chairman of the Democratic Party in Bucks 郡, which lies within the 地区. "When you are challenging a 多重の-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 現職の, if you don't have 即座の 指名する 承認 -- it becomes very problematic."
The 推論する／理由 for the 不確定 is redistricting https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-politics-redistricting/how-the-戦う／戦い-over-redistricting-in-2021-could-decide-支配（する）／統制する-of-the-u-s-congress-idUSKBN2AI1CX, the once-a-１０年間 過程 by which 衆議院 地区s are redrawn based on 転換s in the U.S. 全住民 https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-us-国勢（人口）調査-data-will-show-which-明言する／公表するs-伸び（る）-or-lose-house-seats-2021-04-26. The 過程 always unsettles congressional 選挙s, but this year the coronavirus pandemic has 追加するd to the turbulence by 延期するing the 配達／演説／出産 of the 国勢（人口）調査 data needed to draw the 地区s until September.
"This is the most challenging redistricting cycle in １０年間s," said Michael Li, a lawyer at New York University's nonpartisan Brennan 中心 for 司法（官）.
The redistricting 延期するs 構内／化合物 what is already 形態／調整ing up to be a difficult 選挙 for 民主党員s. Typically, the party that 持つ／拘留するs the White House loses seats in 議会 in the 大統領，／社長's first 称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語. 共和国の／共和党のs need a 逮捕する 伸び（る） of just five seats to take 支配（する）／統制する.
In 明言する／公表するs such as California, which has its 地図／計画する 始める，決める by an 独立した・無所属 （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限, the redistricting 過程 could run up against next spring's 最終期限s for 候補者s to とじ込み／提出する.
"For a lot of folks, that can really 立ち往生させる their rollout ーに関して／ーの点でs of running for office," said Paul Mitchell, a redistricting 顧問 in Sacramento. "It's a bigger problem for 挑戦者s."
California is home to four of 21 共和国の／共和党の-held 地区s the Democratic 連邦議会の （選挙などの）運動をする 委員会, an arm of the party that 支援するs House 候補者s, has 的d for next year. Fitzpatrick's 地区 is another. The DCCC has also identified 32 other seats held by 民主党員s that it considers 攻撃を受けやすい.
Fitzpatrick, a former 連邦検察局 スパイ／執行官, has 法案d himself as an 独立した・無所属 発言する／表明する in 議会. His office did not 答える／応じる to a request for comment.
共和国の／共和党の 支配（する）／統制する of the 広大な 大多数 of 明言する／公表する 立法機関s gives the party an advantage: In 明言する／公表するs where 同志／支持者 国会議員s will draw the new 地図／計画するs, 共和国の／共和党のs will fashion 187 new congressional 地区s, Li said. 民主党員s will draw just 75.
STATES OF PLAY
Redistricting is likely to その上の 危うくする 民主党員s' prospects for 持つ／拘留するing the House. 民主党員s 保持する hope that 穏健な 投票者s will be put off by 共和国の／共和党のs' continued embrace of former 大統領 Donald Trump, even after the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. （ワシントンの）連邦議会議事堂 by his 支持者s, while giving them credit for the country's 改善するing fortunes as the pandemic 緩和するs.
共和国の／共和党の-controlled 立法機関s in Florida, Georgia and Texas likely will 試みる／企てる to create 地図／計画するs that 減ずる the number of 競争の激しい House seats by concentrating Democratic 投票者s in clusters, a 過程 known as gerrymandering.
Those 地図／計画するs are almost 確かな to draw 訴訟s 非難する they 不公平に 好意 共和国の／共和党のs at the expense of 民主党員s and 歴史的に marginalized 投票者s. But the compressed timeframe means the 地区s may remain in 影響 for the 2022 選挙s even as the 事例／患者s are fought in 法廷，裁判所, Li said.
In Georgia, Democratic 伸び（る）s around Atlanta could be 減らすd if the 立法機関 連合させるs the seats held by 代表者／国会議員s Carolyn Bourdeaux and Lucy McBath into a 選び出す／独身 地区. In Texas, a 郊外の Dallas 地区 辛うじて won both by Biden and 共和国の／共和党の Beth 先頭 Duyne that 民主党員s hope to take next year could be redrawn to 支える 先頭 Duyne's reelection prospects.
In Florida, some 退役軍人 民主党員s are 注意するing the 警告 調印するs. 代表者／国会議員 Charlie Crist is leaving his seat to run for 知事. 代表者／国会議員s Val Demings and Stephanie Murphy are 注目する，もくろむing challenges to 共和国の／共和党の 上院議員 Marco Rubio.
Pennsylvania, which stands to lose a seat 予定 to 全住民 changes, will 申し込む／申し出 a different challenge. If its 共和国の／共和党の-controlled 立法機関 and Democratic 知事 cannot agree upon a new 地図／計画する, the 明言する／公表する 最高裁判所 will 介入する, as it did ahead of the 2018 選挙s.
The 過程 could 流出／こぼす 深い into next year, perhaps giving Fitzpatrick an insurmountable advantage, said Cordisco, the Democratic 郡 chairman.
A spokesperson for the DCCC would not 演説（する）／住所 whether the 不確定 surrounding redistricting was 影響する／感情ing 候補者 新採用するing but said the party would fight to 確実にする that 地図／計画するs across the country are drawn 公正に／かなり.
Li, the Brennan 中心 lawyer, said that it may already be too late for such 成果／努力s to make a difference.
共和国の／共和党のs, he said, "have the ability to lock in a good chance of having a 大多数 the 残り／休憩（する） of the １０年間. That's what is at 火刑／賭ける. The whole of the １０年間 is on the line." (報告（する）／憶測ing by James Oliphant; Editing by Scott Malone and Daniel Wallis)
