Colorado Redistricting: Judge Robert Hyatt Sides With Democratic Map In Congressional Redistricting Battle

A year-long battle between Colorado Democrats and Republicans ended Thursday when Denver District Judge Robert Hyatt sided with a proposed Democratic map that redraws congressional district lines in the state, Fox31 reports. The decision will alter the political landscape in Colorado for the next 10 years.

Hyatt, in describing why he chose the "Moreno/South" Democratic map, told The Denver Post that it "most accurately reflected and preserved current communities of interest in 2011. The Moreno approach will also produce the maximum amount of competition of any of the realistically proffered maps in at least three districts -- the 3rd, the 6th, and the 7th."

The Denver Post put together a clear graphic representation of the current and proposed district boundaries, click here to view.

The new map is seen as a blow to the Colorado GOP, especially with regard to the state's 6th Congressional District which has been a safe seat for Repuplicans for decades, according to 7News. The ruling makes U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman's suburban Denver district more Democratic by including all of Aurora, the state's third largest city. Hyatt also said that it makes three districts, the 3rd, the 7th, as well as the 6th, more competitive with a relatively even split among Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters.

Hyatt told CBSDenver that the Republican maps were "flawed and fail to consider communities of interest." But the judge also understood that his ruling would not make everyone happy, saying "redrawing any district lines necessarily means disappointing citizens and interest groups no matter how those lines are drawn." Mark Grueskin, an attorney representing the Democrats in the process, said he expects Hyatt's decision is likely to be appealed but called the ruling "sound and extremely defensible."

Congressional boundaries are redrawn every 10 years by the state legislature to accurately reflect population changes, but when the 2011 legislature failed to agree on new district lines this spring both political parties filed lawsuits, 9News reports.

WATCH [via Fox31] a report from August when both parties submitted maps to Judge Hyatt:

Comments

[COHootie]

09:39 PM on 12/09/2011

Has anyone ever thought that the districts should be drawn by population and NOT political party or race?

[amwa]

12:36 AM on 11/13/2011

So good to read an article where the Judge is fair and has not been bought out by the far right.

[TurnSeiki]

01:42 PM on 11/12/2011

Was there ever any doubt that the democrats would win? The libs control Colorado. That's not going to change anytime soon.

[AnthropologistAmongApes]

03:05 PM on 11/12/2011

Facts and demographics drive this decision.

[skibum415]

08:18 PM on 11/12/2011

Actually, a judge did.

[TurnSeiki]

11:37 PM on 11/12/2011

Exactly right. That's why I don't live in San Fransicko or Little Juarez. The demographics of those places are the EXACT OPPOSITE of the world I want my kids to live in.

[Hockey2333]

05:45 PM on 11/12/2011

Libs control Colorado? What are you talking about? It's as if you have never been to Colorado or looked at any of the polls. Boulder and downtown Denver vote Democrat. Everyone else, except for the Hispanic regions, vote Republican. Colorado is a microcosm of the US electorate and has voted with them for the last 20 years. It is the definition of a purple state.

Colorado has also done particularly well with moderate governors that can unite the state's party leaders. One of the best states in the union. We just need to increase education funding!

[Brian Elliott]

11:44 AM on 11/12/2011

Nice to see the state of Colorado keeping its sanity when so many other states are trying to manipulate the system to eliminate the full voice of the ppl.

[ljm123]

10:24 AM on 11/12/2011

Damn !!! I'm still in bagger district 6. 5 miles west, I would represented by Polis and 5 miles north Degette.

My voice will not be heard. Calls and emails to tea party rep ALWAYS go unanswered.

[merryterry]

09:31 AM on 11/12/2011

i hope the redistricting will move Cory Gardner to Alaska

[DFL]

08:37 AM on 11/12/2011

Good move, the modern GOP party only represents the hardcore right-wing extreme element of their party.

[paddlerchick]

07:57 PM on 11/11/2011

Good for the judge. As a Coloradoan I appreciate how purple this state is.

[The Right is Wrong]

07:27 PM on 11/11/2011

Pardon my 2 typos.

[The Right is Wrong]

07:26 PM on 11/11/2011

I live in Colorado's 6th CD. We went from having as Congressman from the 6th, Tom Tancredo. Now, it is TeaBagger Mike Coffman. I have never felt heard or even listened too. It was always boilerplate responses from them.

However, it appears that I will no longer be mis-represented in Congress.

I may be re-districted into the 2nd CD. And have Fared Polis as my Representative. I may actually have a chance to be heard.

[Laura Hopkins 1]

09:26 PM on 11/11/2011

His responses to my e-mails to his office have been actively rude and dismissive - he knows he has been in a position of absolutely security, and doesn't care a lick about his constituents' opinions if they differ from his position. He's a jerk. I hope this evens out the numbers enough so he has to at least pretend to represent all of us!

[Chazzam]

06:06 PM on 11/12/2011

"actively rude and dismissive". I find that extremely unlikely.

[catboycolo]

07:15 PM on 11/11/2011

More good news for democrats and the disenfranchised voters! I expect an appeal, though.

[MilesToGo]

06:53 PM on 11/11/2011

It appears the judge ruled properly, even though the Democratic map was paramount. The new districts give better representation to demographic facts. Besides, the Republicans already possess a big edge in most any elections in Colorado, as they easily outnumber registered Democrats.

[dandan1]

03:49 PM on 11/11/2011

Does anyone else think that CO receives inordinate coverage here- I mean come on already

[BeasleysMom]

04:05 PM on 11/11/2011

Hp has a reporter in Denver. As they do in LA, Chicago and several other cities. I would guess Denver was selected because it is the major metropolitan area between Chicago and the West Coast. But, if you find it disturbing, I would suggest you not to click on those articles. It is always surprising what some people can find to whine about.

[dandan1]

07:08 PM on 11/11/2011

you do know that Denver is smaller than Chicago (d'oh)

[J0E1]

05:49 PM on 11/11/2011

Click on "local" in the links bar. Those are the cities HP gives the most coverage to.

[dandan1]

07:10 PM on 11/11/2011

it is odd that denver made the list- why not barstow?!?

[MichaelAKD]

02:51 PM on 11/11/2011

i am sick and tired of shady acts meant to disenfranchise voters so as to benefit a few. be it moving the election up a week early this year, catching many voters off guard, to not mailing out ballots to those who might happen to miss one prev. election, all these are efforts to take power away from voters. personally i don't care who is doing what, be they republicans or democrats, we all have a right to vote in fair, transparent and balanced elections. gerrymandering and all the other schemes are and always have been an abomination to the beliefs and system of values this nation is based upon. one of the things i most admire about our state is that over the course of my lifetime we've been a strong and predictable middle of the road state. occasionally we will swing a little to the right and vice versa and that to me is a very good thing. our governors, our legislators, they regularly go from a small majority of one party then to the other in a back and forth political dance that is precisely the way things should work. when any one group or party attempts to skew the system in their favor we all lose, which is why i see this as a victory for all coloradoans not just those who call themselves democrats. the last time we went through this process republicans held the governor's office and legislator and so goes the pendulum.

[Amalek]

02:11 PM on 11/11/2011

Be nice if we can toss Coffman, who has never had an independent thought.

[Turtleposer]

10:51 PM on 11/12/2011

I'm so tired of Coffman. We desperately need new blood.