DENVER (KDVR) — Next month, California will vote in a special election on newly drawn district maps that, if approved, would give Democrats five additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Some Colorado politicians are rolling out the same tactic for Colorado.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who is also a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, is raising the conversation about redistricting Colorado County. He said the state should be able to fight back if other states redraw their congressional maps in the middle of the decade. Just like Texas is doing nowHe called on Coloradans to “fight back against extreme partisan gerrymanders in other states” in a press release issued Friday.
“This is about defending our democracy,” Weiser said in a statement. “When other states violate long-established norms and undertake mid-decade redistricting, Colorado cannot sit idly by and watch. We will not allow those who change the rules to gain an unfair advantage to take advantage of those efforts; Colorado must be prepared to step up and do our part.”
Colorado’s districts are drawn by an independent redistricting commission once a decade, after the U.S. Census is taken.
But Weiser wants voters to approve a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to redraw its maps midway through the session, but only if other states go first. He urged Coloradans to contact their legislators to get involved by supporting “pro-democracy coalitions and joining forces to push for a ballot measure in 2026.”
The plan would need the support of 55% of Colorado voters to succeed.
Weiser said he hates gerrymandering, but loves democracy more.
“When states like Texas and North Carolina redraw their maps to stack the deck in Republican favor, Colorado must be prepared to fight back,” Weiser said. “If we want to stop this dangerous power grab, we must remove the incentive for these tactics in the first place — and that means preparing for action.”
Colorado voters could weigh in on this in 2026, so no changes to the map would be implemented before the 2028 election, which is also the next presidential election cycle.
“This is a problem because if some people are breaking the rules and others are seeking an unfair advantage, and other states like Colorado, which has actually gone blue over the last decade, follow the rule in place, then you are giving people this unfair advantage.”
Another prominent Democrat running for governor is Senator Michael Bennet. FOX31 asked him where he stands on redistricting Colorado to offset Republican efforts in other states.
“All options should be on the table to defend our democracy, but changing the maps in 2028 is too late,” Bennett told FOX31 in part. “Every Colorado Democrat needs to be focused on flipping the House in 2026 so we can rein in Donald Trump.”
Other countries that look Ready for redistricting or already done Redistricting efforts have begun in Ohio, Indiana, Maryland, Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, and Kansas.