Colorado Republicans will decide today whether to challenge the state’s new congressional map that’s expected to give Democrats an edge in at least three districts containing significant Latino populations.
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Denver Post reported this morning that Denver District Judge Robert Hyatt had ruled that the “Moreno/South” redistricting map submitted by Democrats “most accurately” reflects and preserves the current makeup of communities in the 3rd, 6th, and 7th districts.
“Each of those districts contains significant Latino populations, giving that group a major role in the decision about who will represent them in Congress,” Hyatt wrote in a decision issued Thursday. “Thus, not only does the Moreno mapping approach reflect Colorado’s current communities of interest, it holds the real possibility that voters will be as engaged in the electoral process as possible.”
Colorado Republican chairman Ryan Call said a decision would be made today about whether to appeal the ruling to the state supreme court.
“Time and again the courts continue to rule in favor of the Democrats in the context of redistricting,” Call was quoted by the Post as saying. “While Republicans in the state legislature attempted to forge a reasonable compromise to allow the legislature to fulfill its duty, Democrats blocked all attempts and bet that the court would give them yet another win. And the Democrats’ bet paid off.”
Mark Grueskin, an attorney representing state Democrats, told the Post that the redistricting maps offered by the GOP simply did not resemble the Colorado of 2011.
“The other plans reflected districts that were drawn 10 years ago,” he said. “So you had these amalgamations of voters that didn’t have a lot in common with one another. Now they do.”
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