Nearly 7 in 10 Democrats in the new House majority are from the East and West coasts, the latest sign of the party’s lack of connection with the heartland and South.
And even more dramatic, there will be more Democratic members from liberal California than from 36 other states combined, according to an analysis from the bipartisan Washington firm Mehlman, Castagnetti, Rosen, and Thomas.
“Democrats now dominate the coasts,” said the election analysis.
Over a chart showing the nation’s political division, they wrote:
“155 of Democrats’ 233 Members Will Come from East or West Coast. More Dems from CA alone (45) in the 116th Congress than 36 other states combined (AK + AR + ID + MT + NE + NE + ND + SD + WV + WY + KS + OK + UT + AL + DE + DC + KY + LA + ME + MS + VT + HI + IN + MO + NH + NM + RI + TN + IA + SC + NV + NC + WI + NJ + ME).”
The report also noted the shrinkage of so-called “purple states” that have both a Democratic and Republican senator. Once 27 states during the Reagan administration, there are only nine now.
And it found that this month’s election produced the fewest states with split legislatures since 1914.
The group also confirmed that the percentage of voter turnout for the midterm congressional election was the highest in 104 years.
