51st state? California politician pushes secession plan

[dps]

It would only disadvantage the democrats to the tune of 2 new senators, and I doubt southern california would be a solid republican state anyway.

Yeah, even if it was to start with, that wouldn't necessarily last.  Back when Alaska was admitted as a state, it was partly done by the Democratic-controlled Congress to add another solidly Democratic state, but Alaska hasn't turned out to be nearly as solidly in the Democratic camp as they hoped (and that's actually a bit of an understatement).

[ulmont]

has there been a split of States previously (since 1776, say), or where actual States carved from territories?

There have been a few States split since 1776: 
Kentucky from Virginia (1792), Mississippi and Alabama (territory split from Georgia in 1802 into the Mississippi Territory), Maine from Massachusetts (1820), West Virginia from Virginia (1863).

Most of the rest of the States were organized from territories (and those territories were often rearranged or split before statehood), with some exceptions (Vermont and Texas were independent before becoming States, and California was admitted directly as a State after a war with Mexico rather than passing through a territory stage).

Edit: Maine from Massachusetts, check.

[garbon]

Don't forget Maine from Massachusetts.

[jimmy olsen]

It would only disadvantage the democrats to the tune of 2 new senators, and I doubt southern california would be a solid republican state anyway.

Yeah, even if it was to start with, that wouldn't necessarily last.  Back when Alaska was admitted as a state, it was partly done by the Democratic-controlled Congress to add another solidly Democratic state, but Alaska hasn't turned out to be nearly as solidly in the Democratic camp as they hoped (and that's actually a bit of an understatement).

Hawaii was let into counterballance it as a Republican stronghold.