DENVER (KDVR) — Another option is on the table for Colorado’s new political shape.
The Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission released a second draft of the state’s proposed new congressional district maps on Wednesday.
The 2020 U.S. Census counted enough people in the state to need a new, eighth district. The commission is in the process of putting together several map proposals, each subject to a round of public input.
The second map would amend some of the public’s issues with first. Rural residents of northwest and western Colorado objected to the first map, which redrew congressional district 2 to include both western counties and urban Boulder.
The new congressional district 8 would stretch from the north Denver metro into Greeley and greater Weld County.
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette’s District 1 would remain unchanged in the new map.
U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse’s District 2 would lose Jefferson, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties along with northern Park County but gain Jackson, Routt and Eagle counties.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s District 3 would push into southern Colorado counties while losing Jackson, Routt, Eagle and Lake counties.
U.S. Rep. Ken Buck’s District 4 would lose the southern counties ceded to District 3 and the western half of Douglas County but gain portions of Adams County.
U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn’s District 5 would shrink to include only the western two-thirds of El Paso County.
U.S. Rep. Jason Crow’s District 6 would pick up southern portions of Jefferson County in exchange for parts of Adams County.
U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter’s District 7 would expand to include all of Chaffee, Clear Creek, Fremont, Gilpin, Jefferson and Park counties.
The new map would create a safely Democratic balance among the Colorado congressional districts.
As with the first version of the proposed map, the new map would create three solidly Republican districts, four solidly Democratic districts and one narrowly Democratic district.
The new boundaries of congressional district 7 has 10,000 more registered Democrats than it has registered Republicans. In all other districts, Republicans or Democrats lead the other party by at least 18,000 registered voters.
The new map would also establish new congressional district 8 as the state’s most Hispanic.
Until now only district 1, Denver’s district, had a population that is more than 25% Hispanic of any race.
Congressional district 8, comprised of the areas north of the Denver metro leading into Weld County, would have a population that is just under 40% Hispanic.
It would also establish district 8 as the state’s most minority-concentrated district, again with district 1 in second place.
Every district in Colorado is majority non-Hispanic white. Districts 1, 6 and 8 would only be narrow majorities, however.
District 1 is 54.4% non-Hispanic white, and district 6 is 55.8% non-Hispanic white. The new district 8 would be 51.3% non-Hispanic white.
In each case, Hispanic is the largest demographic second to non-Hispanic white.