Renton Included In 9th Congressional District In Bipartisan Proposal

The Washington State Redistricting Commission announced today a new proposed draft congressional plan.

The proposed 9th Congressional district includes Renton, Mercer Island, SeaTac, Federal Way, the Port of Tacoma and parts of Seattle.

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith released this statement on his campaign website in response to the proposal released today:

“I appreciate all of the time and hard work the redistricting commission put into producing these new congressional district maps.

“I am very pleased the new 9th Congressional District includes my hometown of SeaTac and much of the south sound region which I have represented as a state senator and a congressman.  I’m excited to run in this very diverse district.

“In the coming weeks and months I look forward to the opportunity to meet with community leaders, local elected officials and new residents to listen and learn about the most important issues facing their communities. Regardless of how the congressional lines have changed, I will continue to work hard, promote policies that encourage job creation and economic growth and make sure the people of the 9th Congressional District are heard and well-represented in Congress.”

The plan is expected to be adopted and submitted to the Legislature on or by Jan. 1, 2012, according to the Commission's timeline.

Politics reporter Brad Shannon of The Olympian has written a summary of the redistricting process, which shakes up much of Washington's political landscape.

Publicola reports that Suzan DelBene, who challenged Reichert in 2010, now lives in the proposed 1st Congressional district. DelBene .

Reichert's office is on holiday until next week, according to an outgoing phone message to his DC office. This story will be updated if Reichert's office responds to a message from Renton Patch.