Rewriting legislative districts will take on extra import this year because for the second Legislature in a row the state House is tied with 49 Democrats and 49 Republicans. Even small changes can help swing it one way or another. Remaking congressional districts, though, will be easier than in the past because the state gained no new seats in Congress. Some politicians will find their districts shrinking and potentially losing key constituencies. Others could find themselves redrawn out of office.
Rural districts can become suburban districts.
Districts can be redrawn in a less-friendly way. You're going to see some people awfully worried about this. The preliminary census numbers show explosive growth in Clark and Snohomish counties. The figures will be used by the Washington State Redistricting Commission to redraw the political boundaries by the end of the year. Federal and state law requires that election districts be adjusted every decade to make sure they remain as close to equal as possible.