Utah won't be the only western state with greater representation in Congress after the 2010 Census, and that could mean more federal emphasis on regional issues.

Based on 2010 population estimates, 10 congressional seats would shift, mostly from the Northeast and Midwestern states to Southern and Western states.

Utah narrowly missed being granted an additional seat following the 2000 Census. That seat went to North Carolina after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that 11,000 people serving church missions abroad shouldn't be counted as residents.

The state's population growth since then, though, will move it well forward on the list, according to estimates by Election Data Services, a company that specializes in census and redistricting data.

Utah's 2010 population is expected to be about 2.6 million people, up from the current estimate of 2.5 million.

The other states projected to gain one seat in 2010 are Arizona, California, Georgia and Nevada. Florida is expected to gain two, and Texas could add three seats.

The predicted losers are Alabama, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri and Pennsylvania, at one seat each. New York and Ohio would lose two seats apiece, according to the projections.

"In terms of giving the region a greater voice in national debates, any increase in representation has to be helpful," said Daniel Kemmis, a senior fellow at the Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Montana. "It gains greater significance against the background of other efforts to give the region more voice."

Chief among those is the push for a unified presidential primary among the eight Rocky Mountain states, he said, and the potential for national attention to Western issues.

The center is a regional studies program at the University of Montana

"You could have a substantial increase in congressional representation and it wouldn't make much difference if there isn't a clear message the region wants to put forward," Kemmis said. "The effort to establish a regional primary is helping the region think about, 'What is it we want the rest of the country to pay attention to herefi' "

Earlier this month, the Utah Legislature approved a map dividing the state into four congressional districts. Legislation in Congress would have granted a fourth seat to Utah early, along with full voting representation for the District of Columbia -- but members of Congress did not take up the matter before adjourning.

A new, Democrat-controlled Congress takes office this week and the legislation's fate is unclear, although incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has said she wants to keep the measure alive.

2010 congressional changes

Estimated change in representation in the U.S. House of Representatives following the next Census:

Arizona +1

California +1

Florida +2

Georgia +1

Nevada +1

Texas +3

Utah +1

Alabama -1

Illinois -1

Iowa -1

Massachusetts -1

Missouri -1

New York -2

Ohio -2

Pennsylvania -1

Source: Election Data Services

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D1.