Arizona fails to add House seat after 2020 census

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona was among the fastest-growing states during the last decade, but its population of 7.1 million was not enough to give it a 10th congressional seat.

U.S. Census Bureau data released Monday shows Arizona will continue to have nine congressional seats. It also will be unable to add a 12th presidential electoral vote as some had anticipated.

Arizona’s population increased by about 700,000 people over the past decade, from about 6.4 million in 2010, a jump of nearly 11%. The state had gained at least one U.S. House seat in every census since 1950.

Democrat Joe Biden’s narrow victory in Arizona placed it among a handful of swing states that were instrumental in determining the presidential contest.

The 435 seats in the House are decided on a proportional basis. New York trailed Minnesota by some 89 people for the final seat that was awarded. Arizona would have had to leapfrog New York and three other states to gain an additional seat.

The Census Bureau released only basic data Monday. The neighborhood-level numbers that will be used to draw new legislative and congressional district boundaries won’t be released until late summer or fall.