We can understand why Republicans are upset with the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a lower court’s selection of the Democrats’ congressional redistricting map. A safe GOP seat now held by Rep. Mike Coffman will be safe no longer. In terms of voter registration, the 6th District is suddenly competitive.
The map keeps Republican Scott Tipton’s 3rd CD seat and Democrat Ed Perlmutter’s 7th CD spot close enough in terms of voter registration that both parties will have to work hard to retain them.
While the new map keeps two seats safe for Republicans, it’s fair to say that it doesn’t materially disadvantage any of the Democrats. It was designed, after all, by Democrats.
So Republicans are angry and Democrats are pleased. But how should non-partisan Coloradans feel about the new districts? Mostly satisfied, we would maintain.
We say that not because we anticipate — or look forward to — Democratic gains in Colorado’s delegation, but because competitive districts are preferable to politically lopsided ones. Not only do contested districts help keep politicians accountable, they also make them less likely to indulge in fringe causes that alienate mainstream voters.
Why more accountable? When challengers have a decent chance of winning, they usually attract the financial support needed to publicize incumbents’ records.
Meanwhile, incumbents find themselves needing to reach out for the support of moderate independents and thus are more likely to steer clear of political extremes.
Congress is polarized to such an extent these days that compromise often appears impossible. One of the reasons, we’re convinced, is that too many members don’t have to listen to, let alone cater to, the broad political middle.
Although Democrats may have drawn up the new redistricting map, they didn’t game the system so blatantly as to give themselves another sure seat. Sure, Coffman will have to work hard to be re-elected, but he’s got at least as good a shot at winning as any Democrat who will oppose him — and probably a better one, given the advantages of incumbency.
Coffman is a formidable fund-raiser who has never shied away from a political challenge, so we’ll spare our sympathy for someone who needs it.
Not that we like everything in the Democrats’ plan or necessarily agree with every justification made on its behalf. While it may make sense to give Aurora its own district, for example, putting Highlands Ranch into it is far from a natural fit. And putting most of Douglas County, which identifies with metro Denver, into the largely rural 4th Congressional District is hardly ideal, either.
But as Denver District Judge Robert Hyatt noted when he selected the map last month, “Redrawing any district lines necessarily means disappointing citizens and interest groups no matter how those lines are drawn.” On the whole, however, the pluses of the plan he chose outweigh the minuses.
