This story was originally published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Aug. 12, 2011.
The top Democrat in the Georgia House has threatened to field primary challengers against any fellow Democrat who votes for a GOP-drawn redistricting map.
House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, D-Atlanta, told fellow Democrats in an email obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the Republican plans for new district lines are discriminatory and represent a "roll-back of voting rights in Georgia" --- a charge Republicans reject as partisan sour grapes.
Abrams said she will work tirelessly to re-elect Democrats who vote against the plan when lawmakers return to Atlanta next week and that "we will hold every YES vote for this map accountable."
Abrams' message comes as lawmakers prepare to return to Atlanta on Monday for a special session on redistricting.
Every 10 years, after the census, legislators must redraw the maps delineating districts for the state House and Senate as well as the U.S. House.
It is an intensely partisan affair as the ruling party --- in this case, Republicans --- can create maps that benefit its goal of maximizing power.
Abrams, a Yale-educated lawyer in her first year as the Democrats' leader in the House, argues that the GOP plan goes beyond party politics.
"We are not asking for much --- not a majority of Democratic seats or even a single new seat," she wrote.
"We only ask for fairness to our voters, transparency of their goals and equality of opportunity for all Georgians to be heard."
House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, said it was "deplorable" for Abrams to threaten her own people.
"It seems the message is to try to coerce members into voting for something they don't believe in," Ralston said. "I just think that's disgusting, frankly."
But Kerwin Swint, a professor of political science at Kennesaw State University and an expert on redistricting, said Abrams is following a plan.
"The Democrats are in a terrible position," he said. "They're not going to be happy no matter what.
"Even if they bent over backwards to be fair, it would still be a Republican map. She wants to speak with a unified voice, particularly if there is a court challenge."
Abrams on Thursday told the AJC that she's doing her job.
"The role of a caucus leader is to protect the ideals and policies of our constituents," she said.
"I can see no justification for any member to put his or her personal interests above our constituents and vote for a map that decimates the Democratic caucus and creates a Republican super-majority."
Redistricting often results in lawsuits, particularly in states like Georgia that are subject to the Voting Rights Act and must get their maps approved by the federal government.
Swint said Abrams is essentially accusing Republicans of "packing," a term that means they want to cram as many like-minded voters into as few districts as possible in an attempt to dilute their overall voting strength.
Swint serves on the board of Common Cause Georgia, a government watchdog group that plans to offer its own suggestions for new legislative district maps.
"What she's talking about is completely common," Swint said.
"There's packing and there's egregiously packing. If you're doing it egregiously, to dilute the voting power of minorities, then you have a problem. If she's right, the courts will reject this map."
