Compromise plan offered on NM Senate redistricting

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – Two Republican incumbents are lumped together in the same southeastern New Mexico district under a new bipartisan plan for revamping the boundaries of state Senate districts.

Gov. Susana Martinez and other Republicans along with groups of Democrats and Native Americans outlined the plan Wednesday to a state district court judge, who will decide how to realign districts for population changes during the past decade.

Lawyers for the Democratic-controlled Legislature are the only ones opposing the compromise proposal. The Legislature continues to favor a plan passed by the House and Senate last year during a special session.

The goal in redistricting is to equalize district populations as much as possible to ensure that each New Mexican’s vote has equal weight. That’s necessary to comply with the legal requirements of one person, one vote.

During the past decade, most of the eastern side of New Mexico grew slowly or lost population while portions of the greater Albuquerque metropolitan area had explosive growth – particularly areas west of the Rio Grande and in the nearby community of Rio Rancho.

To adjust for those population trends, the latest proposal will establish two new Senate districts on Albuquerque’s west side. That requires other districts to be merged because the total number of Senate seats will remain unchanged at 42.

In southeastern New Mexico, Republican Sens. Rod Adair of Roswell and William Burt of Alamogordo end up in the same district. Burt is the newest member of the Senate and he was appointed last year to fill a vacancy. Adair took office in 1997.

The plan also pairs Democratic incumbents in Albuquerque – Gerald Ortiz y Pino and Eric Griego. However, Griego isn’t seeking re-election and instead is running for Congress.

Democratic Party Chairman Javier Gonzales said he expected the proposal to be approved by the court and called it “a victory for New Mexicans and the constitutional principle of one person, one vote.”

Scott Darnell, a spokesman for Martinez, said, “This map exemplifies the kind of compromise and cooperation the governor hopes will continue during the upcoming legislative session.”

The compromise proposal incorporates districts advocated by Indian tribes and pueblos. There will be three northwestern New Mexico districts in which Indians account for a majority of the voting age population.

That’s the same as under current districts. But Native Americans will gain one district in the western portion of the state in which their numbers are large enough – nearly 27 percent of the voting age population – to influence the outcome of a primary or general election.

“This victory ensures that Native Americans in New Mexico will now have a greater voice in the government-to-government relationship with state government,” Isleta Pueblo Gov. Frank Lujan said in a statement.

To comply with the federal Voting Rights Act, districts must not dilute the voting strengthen of minorities, such as Native Americans and Hispanics. There are two Indians serving in the Senate.

Redistricting ended up in court after the governor vetoed the Senate plan approved by the Legislature on a mostly party-line vote. That plan would have placed Adair and Burt in the same district. It also paired Democrat Dede Feldman and Republican John Ryan in one Albuquerque district.

In the compromise proposal presented to the court, Ryan’s district would change significantly and spread to Albuquerque’s west side.

Adair said in an interview that he supported the latest proposal but hasn’t decided whether he will seek re-election if the court approves the redistricting plan.

Adair, who is a demographer and was in the courtroom when the redistricting map was unveiled, said the plan was in the “best interests of the state” and will offer a “fighting chance” for the public to elect a Senate with roughly equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans. Currently, Democrats hold a 28-14 majority.

Under the latest proposal, there are 17 districts that are solidly or lean in favor of Republicans based on past statewide election results in those areas, according to an analysis prepared by the Legislature’s redistricting consultant.

One Las Cruces area district becomes a swing seat equally divided between the two parties in political performance. It’s currently a GOP-leaning seat held by Sen. Stephen Fischmann, a Mesilla Park Democrat.

Adair said there were potentially four Democratic leaning districts in which Republican candidates could be competitive in elections and have a chance of winning.

The new proposal was offered to state District Court Judge James Hall on the final day of a trial on Senate redistricting. He already has approved plans for congressional and state House of Representative districts. A trial on Public Regulation Commission districts is expected to finish this week.

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