New Districts Diminish Legislators' Superpower

Historically, one reason for legislators' invulnerability at the polls is they need no introduction to voters. But some legislators this year find themselves running in unfamiliar territory, thanks to new districts drawn without an eye to protecting incumbents. The June 20 primaries will be the first test to determine if, for some, these new districts prove to be Kryptonite.

% of voters who are new to districts where elected officials* are running

(Note: The higher the number, the less overlap the new district has with current or former district)

Correction: Updated 4/26/2023 - changed former Del. Nadarius Clark to 100% due to minor discrepancies in map boundaries. Originally listed as 96%. Updated as of 9:01am, 4/24/2023. Revised numbers for former Del. Ibraheem Samirah. An earlier version listed an incorrect percentage.

Note: Share of registered voters that were NOT in the legislator's/local candidate's previous district. For example 75% means that an elected official's current district has a SMALL overlap with the new district and she must introduce herself to 75% of voters in the district.

* For comparison purposes, the list above uses a broad definition of "elected officials" to include state delegates running for the Senate, former legislators and current local elected officials. This makes it possible to determine, for instance, if current school board member might have more name recognition than a state senator running in the same district.