Southern/Southwestern states to gain House seats

The 435 seats in the House are divided among the states every 10 years based on the census. State legislatures are charged with drawing new congressional district maps, and reapportionment from the 2010 census will go into effect for the 2012 election. Currently, it appears that fast-growing Southern and Southwestern states (read: red and swing states) could gain the bulk of new congressional seats (Texas is the biggest winner), largely at the expense of blue states.

A list via the AP:

WINNERS:

Texas — up four seats to 36.

Florida — up two seats to 27.

Arizona — up two seats to 10.

North Carolina — up one seat to 14.

South Carolina — up one seat to seven.

Georgia — up one seat to 14.

Utah — up one seat to four.

Nevada — up one seat to four.

Oregon — up one seat to six.

LOSERS:

New York — down two seats to 27.

Ohio — down two seats to 16.

Massachusetts — down one seat to nine.

New Jersey — down one seat to 12.

Pennsylvania — down one seat to 18.

Michigan — down one seat to 14.

Illinois — down one seat to 18.

Minnesota — down one seat to seven.

Iowa — down one seat to four.

Missouri — down one seat to eight.

Louisiana — down one seat to six.

California — down one seat to 52.

Give the Republicans lean of those states, this makes it extremely important for Democrats to win back the state legislatures here in Texas and elsewhere by 2010 so they can control redistricting (if there's not a non-partisan system set up for it, that is). But Democrats have been gaining in the southwest the last few election cycles, so it could definitely yield opportunities.