Under newly redistricted maps, Whidbey Island will remain in the state’s most politically competitive legislative district as well as a slightly more competitive congressional district.

There is some possibility, however, that either the state legislature or a lawsuit may alter the lines. An open government group has already filed a lawsuit claiming that the redistricting commission broke open-meetings law. The redistricting commissioner failed to meet its Nov. 15 deadline, but the state Supreme Court ruled that the commission had substantially completed its work and left commission-drawn maps in place.

Under the new maps, Island County remains in a geographically larger Congressional District 2 and a mostly unchanged Legislative District 10.

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, a Democrat, will represent the redrawn District 2 in 2023 if he is reelected. The district will expand to include all of Whatcom and Skagit counties, plus it will still encompass all of Island County and a portion of Snohomish County.

High population growth in Seattle and surrounding areas means those districts had to contract while districts elsewhere had to expand to keep the population evenly distributed.

In an interview from Washington D.C. Monday, Larsen explained that the new map is similar to what the 2nd District looked like in the 2000s, when all of Whatcom and Skagit counties were contained in the boundaries. He said he knows the communities and how to represent them, though he will have some catching up to do if he’s reelected.

This is the fourth round of redistricting that Larsen has gone through since first being elected in 2000.

Larsen pointed out that the new district takes in areas that border Canada, which have their own unique issues. The district will also represent all the communities with ferry service in the northern part of Puget Sound, from Edmonds to Anacortes.

Larsen explained that the district will become a slightly less Democratic district under the new maps, going from 63% Democratic voters to 58%. While it’s still a solidly Democratic district, Larsen said he hopes his political success is about more than partisan politics.

“It’s about whether I’ve been responsive to the needs of people in my district,” he said.

Larsen said people who make claims about gerrymandering need to first take a good look at the maps. The ragged district edges in Snohomish County, he pointed out, are simply the boundaries of the city of Everett. One of the goals of redistricting is to keep communities together.

On the state side of things, Island County remains entirely in the 10th Legislative District, which picked up some of rural Fidalgo and gained some in Snohomish County, but lost a portion of Mount Vernon.

State Sen. Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor, said the redrawn 10th remains evenly divided between Democrats and Republican voters. He and the District 10 state representatives, one Republican and one Democrat, had tough campaigns last year and will likely face stiff opposition in the future.

State Rep. Dave Paul, D-Oak Harbor, said there is a benefit to living in a competitive district.

“It compels representatives to look at both sides of issues,” he said. “If you don’t work hard and listen to your community, you won’t be re-elected.”