CASTLE ROCK — Several residents in Colorado’s most populous congressional district told lawmakers Monday night they want to remain in the 6th District, so please move other people out.
The 6th District must shrink by nearly 80,000 people, based on the latest census data.
Dave Kerber, mayor pro tem in Greenwood Village, offered up Englewood, pointing out that the blue-collar town is now divided between the 6th District and the 1st District, which includes Denver.
“Greenwood Village has never been associated with Denver, . . . its governmental and economic interests aligned with those communities to the south,” Kerber said.
Douglas County clerk and recorder Jack Arrowsmith was among the witnesses who asked to keep Douglas County whole.
But others told a special redistricting panel that they would like to see the boundaries redrawn to make the district more competitive.
The 6th District, represented by U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, an Aurora Republican, is overwhelmingly Republican. The latest data from the secretary of state show there are 172,163 Republicans, 95,871 unaffiliated voters and 94,632 Democrats.
The 10-member legislative committee is holding hearings in all seven congressional districts to get input on where to redraw boundaries. The lines must be redrawn so each district has roughly 718,457 people.
Richard Elsner, chairman of the Park County Republicans, said his county is divided, with the Bailey portion in the 6th District and the rest of the county in the 5th District — and that’s just fine with him.
Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, a committee co-chairman, said Elsner is the first witness to ask that his county remain split.
Elsner did say the boundary should be moved, though, from the Bailey area to Kenosha Pass.
“Where they drew the line last time is not a good line,” he said.
That sentiment was echoed by the Park County Democratic chairwoman, Sheila Canfield Jones, and her solidarity with her GOP counterpart drew laughter and praise.
“Park County is the Kumbaya county of Colorado,” said Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial, the other redistricting co-chairman.
The panel hopes to present a redistricting map to the legislature by April 14.
