Judge’s ruling means a more competitive N.M. House

From NM Pollitics.net - by Heath Haussamen - A judge’s decision to side with Gov. Susana Martinez in redistricting of state House seats is certainly a win for Republicans, but it’s arguably more significant as a loss for Democrats. The Democratic judge, James A. Hall, ruled Tuesday in favor of Martinez’s plan, saying it’s better because it protects Native American-majority districts while changing districts less than other plans. The critical quote from Hall’s ruling about the Democratic-controlled Legislature’s plan, which Martinez vetoed and Hall rejected, states that it “contains significant population deviations between districts which are not justified by historically significant state policy or unique features.” Hall wrote that Martinez’s plan, on the other hand, “properly places the highest priority on population equality and compliance with the Voting Rights Act as required by law.” Republicans gained significant ground in the state House in 2010. The current makeup is 36 Democrats, 33 Republicans and one independent, making it the closest Republicans have been to political balance in the House in more than eight decades. The Legislature’s redistricting plan would have shifted the advantage back toward Democrats. Martinez proposed a plan that shifts things more to the right, but not as much as the legislative plan shifted things in the other direction. So Hall backed Martinez’s plan. Imagine if Democrats had proposed a plan that shifted the balance in their direction less than Martinez’s did toward the GOP. Read more

Judge’s ruling means a more competitive N.M. House