SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – A version of a congressional district map made it through committee, but not everyone is on board. On Wednesday, Republican State Senator Mark Moores questioned one of the redistricting options.
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Senate Bill 1 introduced Cervantes and Georgene Louis would carve out a portion of Albuquerque’s South Valley and put it into Congressional District 2 which is held by Republican Yvette Herrell. Moores says the bill was introduced earlier this week and they stick to the options provided by the redistricting committee.
The committee was recently created to get input from citizens and come up with concepts to present to the legislature. “The CRC part of their process was to send their maps to an expert in North Carolina or South Carolina. I don’t think there’s anyone from the CRC here to a poli-sci professor to determine and analyze them that they hadn’t been gerrymandered for political gain but this ‘improvement’. Have they been evaluated and gone through the same process,” Sen Moores said.
The map was passed in the senate rules committee along party lines on Wednesday. Democrats argue CD2 would better represent the area. “It is the only Hispanic congressional district majority we have right now, is that second congressional district and barely, it’s within one percentage point, and it’s hard to suggest that the representation reflects those interests in those communities,” Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D) said.
KRQE News 13 will keep an eye on which congressional map the legislature passes.
