Longmont area officials are weighing the implications of proposed redistricting plans for Colorado’s eight congressional districts and the 65 state houses and 35 senate districts.
Final plans for redrawing Colorado’s political road map are scheduled to be firmed up this fall. The Joint Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission is holding public hearings all over the state this summer to gather public opinions on redistricting proposals.
Longmont’s public hearing is scheduled for Aug. 10 with a time and location yet to be determined. A public hearing is scheduled for Boulder on Aug. 11.
Under the new map, Longmont would move from the 4th Congressional District to the 2nd Congressional District. The 4th covers much of the rural Eastern Plains along with Longmont, Greeley, Castle Rock and Parker. The district is represented by Republican Ken Buck.
The 2nd includes Broomfield, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Grand, Larimer and Summit counties and a portion of Boulder County. The 2nd is represented by Democrat Joe Neguse.
Sally Tucker, a spokesperson for Neguse, said he would wait to comment on Longmont’s move to the 2nd until the redistricting process is finished.
Longmont Assistant City Manager Sandi Seader said, in an email, that there will likely be changes in the congressional redistricting map before it is finally approved. And “regardless of who our representative is, we will work closely with them to understand the needs of Longmont,” Seader said.
She added that two proposed redistricting changes involving Democratic Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis and Democratic Rep. Tracey Bernett will also be monitored.
The redrawn map puts Jaquez Lewis into a new Senate District 32 with Republican Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer. Jaquez Lewis currently represents Senate District 17, which covers most of eastern Boulder County, including Longmont.
Kirkmeyer represents Senate District 23, which encompasses the Fort Collins area through southwest Weld County into Broomfield.
Jaquez and Kirkmeyer are serving their first four-year Senate terms. Neither could be reached for comment.
Bernett, who currently serves portions of east Boulder County and part of Longmont in House District 12, would be put into a new House District 38, with Republican Dan Woog.
Both are serving their first two-year terms and would be up for re-election in 2022.
Woog currently represents House District 63, which includes several southwest Weld County municipalities along with portions of Longmont.
Woog said that under the preliminary map, he would lose a large portion of current District 63 which leans very conservative.
“However, I would keep the Tri-Town area and Fort Lupton which were also key areas for me in 2020,” Woog said in an email. “Running against Representative Bernett would present a challenge for me but I do feel the preliminary new boundaries still favor a conservative candidate. “
“We will not have a final map until later this fall, so I’m not relying on these current lines too heavily,” he said.
Bernett said the redistricting maps are “very preliminary” and likely to change after August’s public hearings. “I think the commissioners will listen to things that make sense.”
“I am very proud of my legislative record and did the things I said I would do before I was elected,” Bernett said. “I would say my first year was a success.”
“Again,” Seader said, “we will work closely with whoever is in the role” at the state legislature.
