TUCSON - Arizona's next round considering the addresses of of legislative races could incumbents and candidates. include up to eight districts A quick analysis of the map out of 30 in which either a shows that in 17 of the 30 Republican or a Democrat districts, Republicans have would have an equal chance of an edge in voter registration. winning, under a draft plan Democrats lead in nine approved Monday. districts, and independent There also could be 10 voters hold slim registration districts in which a member leads in four districts. of a racial minority would However, voter registration have a good chance of winning, is only one of several according to the legislative measures the commission used draft map approved on a 4-1 in trying to make the vote by the Arizona districts competitive. They Independent Redistricting also looked at voter behavior Commission. in various configurations in Those numbers are an increase the 2008 and 2010 general from the current legislative elections. map, which was drawn to have Based on those statistics, nine districts favorable to Freeman said, there could be minorities and in which four as many as eight districts districts were deemed that give either party an competitive. equal shot. But commissioner See the legislative draft map member Jos Herrera, a The vote came one day before Democrat, said he saw only today's start of a 30-day six districts he believed comment period and one week would be competitive. after the commission adopted Commission Chairwoman Colleen a new congressional map that Coyle Mathis said it's hard already has drawn rebukes to say how many districts in from Republicans. the new map are competitive. Monday's map may offer more "I think it's in the eye of fodder for debate, as the beholder right now," she commission members said. "Do you look at acknowledged they need more registration? Do you look at information before putting a (voter) performance?" final stamp on the plan, There are similarities to the which will determine match- current legislative map: For ups in legislative elections example, Tempe is divided over the next decade. into two districts, with the Commissioner Richard Stertz area generally south of the reflected that need for Superstition Freeway in the further data when he cast the same district as the lone "no" vote. Ahwatukee area of Phoenix and "I think this is one of those west Chandler. maps where we're going to The rest of Chandler is in a have to vote on it and see district with Sun Lakes. The what's in it," said Stertz, bulk of Scottsdale is in the one of two Republicans on the same district as Fountain five-member commission. Hills, as is currently the But the other commissioners case. said that they felt confident There are proposed changes in the work they completed in Pinal County, one of the the past week was a good fastest-growing areas in the starting point and that the state over the past decade. upcoming public comment will One district follows the be vital to adjusting the map. Interstate 10 corridor, "I hope the public shows up pulling in communities such and gives us a lot of as Marana, Casa Grande and feedback on it and tells us Eloy. Another district runs about their communities of up the eastern edge, interest and tells us about encompassing Oro Valley, the error of our ways," said Coolidge, Florence and Commissioner Scott Freeman, communities in the "Copper the other GOP member of the Corridor," such as Globe and panel. San Manuel. He said he had "serious Metro Phoenix is home to four concerns" that the map lacked of the so-called "minority- needed data, such as voter majority" districts, which figures from 2004 and 2006, are drawn to ensure that but he voted for the draft minority voting rights are plan to get the discussion protected as required by going. federal law. They are The map was based heavily on generally in central Phoenix work done by Freeman and and the Valley's west side. Democratic Commissioner Linda The commission also created a McNulty, as they worked to district with a heavy Native merge their competing American influence in versions of a legislative map northeastern Arizona, into one. covering six Indian tribes, It reconfigures Arizona's including the Navajo Nation legislative boundaries based and the Hopi Tribe. That on population changes tracked district has a voting-age by the 2010 census and population that is 62 percent adjusted according to Native American. criteria spelled out in the Flagstaff was a point of Arizona Constitution. contention during the Those criteria include equal commission's deliberations, population - an average of which ran through last 213,000 people for each of weekend. The northern Arizona the 30 districts; respect for city is separated from the "communities of interest," tribal lands that are part of where people share cultural the current district and is and social bonds; respect for put within boundary lines governmental and geographic that extend into the Verde boundaries; adherence to the Valley. Voting Rights Act to protect House Speaker Andy Tobin, R- minority voters; compact Prescott, said last week that boundaries; and he doesn't believe Flagstaff competitiveness. should be categorized with The Constitution forbids the Verde Valley, saying they commissioners from have distinct differences.
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