DENVER (KDVR) — Next month, California will be voting in a special election on newly drawn district maps that, if approved, would give the Democrats five more U.S. House seats. Some Colorado politicians are floating the same tactic for Colorado.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who is also a Democratic candidate for governor, is raising the conversation about redistricting Colorado. He said that the state should be able to respond if other states redraw their Congressional maps mid-decade, like Texas is doing now, calling for Coloradans “to respond to extreme partisan gerrymanders in other states” in a press release on Friday.
“This is about defending our democracy,” Weiser said in a release. “When other states break long-established norms and do mid-decade redistricting, Colorado can’t stand idly by and just watch. We’re not going to let those changing the rules to get an unfair advantage benefit from those efforts; Colorado must be ready to step up and do our part.”
Colorado’s districts are set by an independent redistricting commission once every decade, after the U.S. Census is conducted.
But Weiser wants voters to approve a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to redraw its maps mid-cycle, but only if other states go first. He urged Coloradans to contact their legislators to get involved by supporting “pro-democracy coalitions, and joining efforts to push for a 2026 ballot measure.”
The plan would need 55% support 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 favor of Republicans, Colorado must be prepared to respond,” Weiser stated. “If we want to stop this dangerous power grab, we must remove the incentive for these tactics in the first place—that means being ready to act.”
The earliest Colorado voters could weigh in on the matter is in 2026, so no map changes would be implemented before the 2028 election, which is also the next presidential election cycle.
“This is a problem because if some people are norm breakers and some people are seeking to gain an unfair advantage and other states like Colorado, which has actually gotten blue over the last decade, follow the established norm, you’re giving people this unfair advantage,” Weiser said.
Another high-profile Democrat who is vying for the governor’s office is Sen. Michael Bennet. FOX31 asked him about his stance 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,” Bennet told FOX31 in part. “Every Democrat in Colorado needs to be focused on flipping the House of Representatives in 2026 so we can put a real check on Donald Trump.”
Other states that seem poised to redistrict or that have already begun redistricting efforts include Ohio, Indiana, Maryland, Florida, Illinois, Nebraska and Kansas.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
