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North Carolina’s 11th district on the western edge of the state includes the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and some of the most beautiful forests, waterfalls and vistas in the country. It also includes Asheville, a small, artsy, craft beer-loving liberal city that anchors this district … but hardly defines it. Asheville and some of Buncombe County are a bright blue dot in a sea of deep red conservative voters.

Virginia's first congressional district is one of those bizarre gerrymanders that makes no sense for anyone but Republican career politicians. It's an odd concotion that stretches through 22 counties from the DC exurbs in Prince William, Fauquier and Stafford counties down through Fredericksburg south to the suburbs north of Norfolk in Middlesex, Mathews and Newport News counties. In 2012 Romney beat Obama 56.2% to 43.8%.

Virginia is one of the richest states, but much of that wealth is concentrated in the DC surbubs. The state's median income is $67,620, third highest nationally. The three districts that include parts of Fairfax County have median incomes in the $100,000 range. But in the southern part of the state, incomes dip precipitously.