Three years ago, Colorado voters approved the first major overhaul to the decennial redistricting process — redrawing congressional and legislative district boundaries — in a half century.
With the new maps submitted to the state Supreme Court for review, it is apparent that Coloradans made the right choice.
More than the maps themselves, the process marked a big win for Colorado. It worked so well I would not be surprised to see several other states take a similar approach before 2030.
Plenty of Democrats and Republicans with vested interests surely disagree with this conclusion. Republicans bemoan maps that leave almost no path to a majority in either the state House or state Senate. Democrats decry a likely downtick in their comfortable margins in either chamber.
Similarly, Democrats seem ill-content with a relatively safe hold on only half the state’s eight congressional seats; yet Republicans see the only truly competitive seat tilting toward a Democratic 5-3 advantage.
The loudest complaints come from legislators and candidates drawn into or out of districts, depending on your perspective. The steam coming out of state Sen. Kerry Donovan’s ears could prove to be a whole new source of alternative energy for the state.
Both sides crying foul is the best indicator of a fair redistricting process.
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