Anthony "Tony" Fairfax
The founder and CEO of CensusChannel, Anthony "Tony" Fairfax, has been at the intersection of redistricting, demographics, and mapping decision-making since 1990 — for over 35 years — helping organizations create fair districting plans, understand where people live, and how they vote.
Turning Data Into Decisions
Fairfax founded CensusChannel on a simple conviction: that rigorous demographic analysis, made accessible, leads to better decisions. Whether drawing district lines, targeting voters, or identifying new markets, the organizations we serve need data they can trust and maps they can act on.
Fairfax brings deep technical expertise in census data, GIS, and spatial analysis — and we translate that expertise into clear, actionable intelligence for our clients. We work with the full range of organizations that shape communities: nonprofits, municipal governments, campaigns, school boards, and businesses.
Academic Foundation
Three Decades Specializing in Redistricting
The Start
After working as an electrical engineer, Fairfax became an independent consultant (later under CensusChannel) and began his redistricting career at Norfolk State University, where he served as a GIS consultant during the 1990 redistricting cycle. As principal map drawer, he developed plans, conducted analyses, and provided training to support dozens of local nonprofit organizations across the South.
Expanding Nationally
At the start of the 2000 redistricting round, Fairfax was hired as the consulting demographer for the newly established Congressional Black Caucus Institute (CBCI). The project effort focused on reviewing, analyzing, and developing congressional district plans nationwide where Black voters could elect a candidate of their choice.
Continuation of Redistricting Services
For the 2010 redistricting round, Fairfax was rehired as the consulting demographer for the Congressional Black Caucus Institute. The project continued the previous cycle of reviewing, analyzing, and developing congressional districts, bringing the total to 25 states.
Ongoing Redistricting Services and Expert Witnessing
The 2020 redistricting cycle marks the broadest engagement yet. Fairfax has reached a point in his career where he is called upon not only to assist municipalities but also to provide expert reports, depositions, and testimony in state and federal courts. This cycle, Fairfax has been called upon to serve as an expert witness for leading civil rights advocates, including the ACLU, Campaign Legal Center, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, SCSJ, Southern Poverty Law Center, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Practitioner, Not Just Analyst
Combining deep technical expertise in GIS and census data with hands-on experience in redistricting, campaigns, and community research.
Over 35 years of redistricting experience spanning municipal, county, and state-level engagements. Expert witness in redistricting litigation across multiple states.
Using ESRI platforms for cartography, web GIS, and data visualization. Leads all print and interactive mapping deliverables.
Deep expertise in decennial census and ACS data extraction, longitudinal analysis, and equity indicator development for public and nonprofit clients.
Let's work together.
Whether you're planning a redistricting cycle, a community study, or a market analysis — we'd like to hear about your project.
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