Two years after Republicans made historic gains along the U.S.-Mexico border, a person can now walk from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico without ever leaving a Democratic congressional district. The route starts in Blaine, Washington, a small city on the British Columbia line, and ends around Corpus Christi, Texas. It follows the Pacific Coast through Washington, Oregon and California, cuts across southern Arizona and New Mexico, then tracks the border through West and South Texas down to the Gulf.
Measured in straight lines between towns along the corridor, the trip comes to about 2,700 miles, according to a Newsweek estimate. On actual roads and trails, a walker would cover something closer to 3,000. The corridor is now possible following the GOP's historic loss in Tuesday's midterm elections.
Democrats have won 253 House seats, a net gain of 41, with 21 races uncalled as of Friday afternoon, according to results. Several districts on the route were in Republican hands until this week, and two of them, in southern Arizona and West Texas, filled holes that had split the line. Western Washington is blue from Blaine through Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia all the way to the Columbia River.
Republicans made a real play for one stretch of it and lost. In the 3rd District, in the state's southwestern corner, Democratic Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez won a third term over Republican state Senator John Braun. President Donald Trump carried the district three times.
Over the river, the walk goes through Portland and down the Willamette Valley. Inland southern and eastern Oregon still vote Republican, which keeps the route hugging the coast until California. California carries the longest leg, and last year's redistricting fight left the state's map bluer.
Voters there approved new Democratic-leaning districts to counter the mid-decade redraw by Texas Republicans. Democrat Mike McGuire beat Republican Representative James Gallagher in the 1st District. Gallagher had only won the seat in a June special election after Republican Representative Doug LaMalfa died.
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