The New Mexico state Senate recently approved a reconstructed version of the state’s congressional map, with all Republicans voting against in a 25-15 vote, according to NM Political Report. It now goes to the House for committee assignments.
Senate Bill 1 was sponsored by Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces) and Rep. Georgene Louis (D-Albuquerque). The report said that supporters of the proposal say that grouping Albuquerque’s rural south valley with other rural areas in the state creates a community of interest. However, Republicans have been vocally against the bill and have offered other suggestions for mapping.
The proposal would group southeastern cities of Artesia, Portales and Clovis with others in the northwest corner of the state into the 3rd District.
Most of Albuquerque would be grouped with southern towns and villages, like Carrizozo and Capitan, in the 1st Congressional District. The 2nd Congressional District would group southern cities like Las Cruces and Alamogordo with southwestern Albuquerque.
According to NM Political report, this began as a reworking of a concept recommended by the Citizen Redistricting Committee. The report alleges that just before a floor debate, Cervantes convinced the Senate Judiciary to approve changes that brought it closer to the committee’s initial recommendation called “Concept H,” which has been dubbed “the people’s map.”
Concept H was reportedly created by advocacy groups and is intended to group communities of interest and create a district made up of a majority Hispanic and Latino community. Republicans have criticized the process, claiming that people have been paid to speak in favor of the map. The advocacy group coalition has admitted stipends were offered to offset childcare or travel costs, but nobody has asked for or taken a payment.
Cervantes said he used Concept H as a template but did not work with the groups. He said in a recent Judiciary Committee that he received “numerous requests” to adopt Concept H instead of a reworked version.
The map reportedly received public criticism from the New Mexico Acequia Association who said they prefer “Concept E,” which kept Albuquerque and Rio Rancho in the same urban district. Sen. Mark Moores (R-Albuquerque) recently unsuccessfully tried to substitute SB1 with Concept E, saying the map was a “common-sense split in New Mexico.”
Sen. Brenda McKenna (D-Corrales) is from Nambe Pueblo and was not in favor of Moores’ proposal. The proposal would have split the Pueblo of Zuni into two districts and put Acoma and Laguna in the third district. She said these pueblos wish to all be in the 2nd Congressional District and she did not support Moores' proposal for this reason.
Joining Republicans in opposition was independent Sen. Jacob Candelaria of Albuquerque, a former member of the Democratic Party who announced he will not seek re-election. His criticism of the bill is for splitting parts of his district located on the west side of Albuquerque. He said poorer parts of the city would be separated from affluent areas.