Name: Anonymous 2011-05-08 17:55
Longtime Congressman Dennis Kucinich apparently prefers staying in Congress to staying in Ohio.
Kucinich, who has represented Ohio's 10th Congressional District since 1997, is concerned about the effect redistricting will have on his political career. Ohio is due to lose two congressional seats as a result of the 2010 Census, which showed barely any population growth in the state over the last decade. The population of Cleveland, where Kucinich's district is located, actually declined. Perhaps declined isn't the correct word; collapsed seems more appropriate. Cleveland's population went from 478,403 in 2000 to 396,815 in 2010.
Because of this, the Cleveland area is likely to suffer the loss of a seat, and Kucinich's district is likely to be the one that gets erased. Most Congressmen faced with such a scenario would do one of two things: a) retire from public office and get a real job in the private sector, or b) face off against another incumbent Congressman in a battle for a single seat. In fact, this is precisely what happened to Democrat Congressman John Dingell of Michigan in 2002. Michigan lost a congressional seat after the 2000 Census, so Dingell defeated another incumbent Democrat, Lynn Rivers, in the primary election and went on to win the general election.
Again, most people would choose one of those two options. But Dennis Kucinich is not most people...
http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-orlando/ohio-congressman-dennis-kucinich-considers-outsourcing-himself-to-another-state
Kucinich, who has represented Ohio's 10th Congressional District since 1997, is concerned about the effect redistricting will have on his political career. Ohio is due to lose two congressional seats as a result of the 2010 Census, which showed barely any population growth in the state over the last decade. The population of Cleveland, where Kucinich's district is located, actually declined. Perhaps declined isn't the correct word; collapsed seems more appropriate. Cleveland's population went from 478,403 in 2000 to 396,815 in 2010.
Because of this, the Cleveland area is likely to suffer the loss of a seat, and Kucinich's district is likely to be the one that gets erased. Most Congressmen faced with such a scenario would do one of two things: a) retire from public office and get a real job in the private sector, or b) face off against another incumbent Congressman in a battle for a single seat. In fact, this is precisely what happened to Democrat Congressman John Dingell of Michigan in 2002. Michigan lost a congressional seat after the 2000 Census, so Dingell defeated another incumbent Democrat, Lynn Rivers, in the primary election and went on to win the general election.
Again, most people would choose one of those two options. But Dennis Kucinich is not most people...
http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-orlando/ohio-congressman-dennis-kucinich-considers-outsourcing-himself-to-another-state