{"id":2059350,"date":"2023-10-07T21:32:03","date_gmt":"2023-10-08T01:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ruling-upholds-new-mexico-democrat-led-legislatures-not-too-egregious-gerrymander\/"},"modified":"2023-10-07T21:34:35","modified_gmt":"2023-10-08T01:34:35","slug":"ruling-upholds-new-mexico-democrat-led-legislatures-not-too-egregious-gerrymander","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ruling-upholds-new-mexico-democrat-led-legislatures-not-too-egregious-gerrymander\/","title":{"rendered":"New Mexico Democrat-Led Legislature&#8217;s Gerrymander Ruling Upheld"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fruling-upholds-new-mexico-democrat-led-legislatures-not-too-egregious-gerrymander%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2059350&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>A \u2063Victory for New Mexico \u200dDemocrats: Judge Upholds Congressional Map<\/h2>\n<p>A\u2063 New\u200b Mexico\u200c 9th Judicial District judge has\u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.democracydocket.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Rep.-Party-v-M.-Toulouse-Oliver-Findings-of-Fact-and-Conclusions-of-Law.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">upheld<\/a> the state\u2019s post-2020 Census reapportionment, dismissing \u2064claims by\u2064 the Republican Party of New Mexico that the Democrat-led state \u200clegislature\u2019s congressional map is \u2064a \u201cracial gerrymander\u201d that\u2064 violates the \u200bstate\u2019s Constitution.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The 14-page ruling issued Oct. 6 will be \u200dchallenged by \u2064the state&#8217;s GOP, but\u200c it \u2062virtually ensures New Mexico\u2019s three\u200d congressional districts\u2014all represented\u2063 by Democrats\u2014will remain \u2064as they are\u2063 for the 2024 elections.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The New\u2062 Mexico congressional \u2064map lawsuit is one of at least a \u2063dozen underway <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/in-depth-federal-state-lawsuits-seek-constitutional-clarity-on-racial-gerrymanders-5487404\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in state and federal\u200d courts<\/a> across the country,\u2064 including a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oyez.org\/cases\/2023\/22-807\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">South Carolina case<\/a>, Alexander v.\u200c South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, to be heard before the \u2063United States Supreme Court on Oct. 11.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/the-crucial-house-races-to-watch-in-2024-post-5498908?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>The\u2064 Crucial \u2062House Races\u2062 to \u200cWatch \u2064in \u20642024<\/strong><\/a>  &#8211; 10\/2\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/23-house-seats-flipped-during-2022-midterm-elections-4905207?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>23 House Seats Flipped\u200d During 2022 Midterm Elections<\/strong><\/a>  \u2064 &#8211; 12\/6\/2022<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>How\u200c and where those court \u2063decisions shake\u2062 out could have \u2064significant repercussions in Congress, potentially making it structurally more difficult for Republicans to expand or \u2064sustain their current 222\u2013212 U.S. House majority in 2024\u2019s\u200c elections.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The New Mexico\u200b decision \u2062follows <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/federal-court-approves-new-alabama-election-map-that-helps-democrats-5504667\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an Oct. 5 ruling<\/a> by a three-judge \u2064U.S. Northern District of Alabama panel\u200b that creates a new Alabama congressional\u2064 map containing one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/as-republican-julia-letlow-is-sworn-in-the-democrats-margin-in-the-house-shrinks-to-just-2-votes\/\" title=\"As Republican Julia Letlow Is Sworn In, The Democrats\u2019 Margin In The House Shrinks To Just 2 Votes\">majority-black district<\/a> \u2063and another \u2062near-black-majority district presumptively\u200b favoring Democrats. Right now, the state\u2019s seven-member\u200d congressional delegation consists\u2064 of six Republicans and one \u200cDemocrat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Alabama\u2019s \u2062new map will also likely be in place for the 2024 elections,\u2064 even if state GOP officials continue challenging\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/opinions\/22pdf\/21-1086_1co6.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Allen v. Milligan<\/a>, which the United States Supreme Court\u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/supreme-court-strikes-down-republican-drawn-election-map-for-alabama-5320336\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">voted<\/a> 5\u20134\u2064 on \u2062June 8 to kick back to the same circuit court panel that initially rejected the map and issued the Oct. 5 ruling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The Republican Party\u200d of New Mexico, state Sen. David \u200dGallegos \u2063(R-Eunice), several individual voters, and Roswell Mayor Timothy Jennings, a former\u2062 Democrat state\u200c senator \u200dstill registered with the party,\u200d filed the lawsuit, <a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/scholar_case?case=2977741712879033733&#038;q=Republican+Party+of+New+Mexico+v.+Oliver&#038;hl=en&#038;as_sdt=40006&#038;as_vis=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Republican Party \u2063of N.M. v. Toulouse \u200cOliver<\/a>, on Jan. 21, \u20642022.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The complaint alleged the \u2063congressional map redrawn by the state \u200dlegislature during\u2062 a 2021 special session and signed into\u2064 law by Democrat\u2063 Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was\u200b done \u201cin contravention of traditional\u200d redistricting principles \u2026 to accomplish a political gerrymander that\u2063 unconstitutionally dilutes the votes of residents of southeastern New Mexico in \u2062order to achieve partisan advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The suit \u2063was filed in Clovis, where\u200c a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ruling-upholds-new-mexico-democrat-led-legislatures-not-too-egregious-gerrymander\/\" title=\"New Mexico Democrat-Led Legislature's Gerrymander Ruling Upheld\">state district court\u200b judge determined plaintiffs<\/a> had \u201ca strong, well-developed case\u200b that [the 2021 map] is an unlawful political gerrymander that \u200bdilutes Republican \u2063votes in congressional races in New Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The state appealed\u200d to the\u200b New Mexico Supreme Court. In July, \u2063it ruled the lawsuit was \u201cjusticiable\u201d\u2014justified\u2014under state \u2064law and sent the\u200b case back to \u200cthe state 9th Judicial\u2064 District Court and Judge\u200d Fred Van Soelen.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 Supreme Court gave the\u2063 state circuit \u200bcourt an\u2063 Oct. 1 deadline to \u2063issue its ruling. It extended\u200d that deadline to\u200b Oct. 6 following a Sept. 27\u201328 trial.<\/p>\n<p>Attorneys for \u2064the state\u2019s\u2063 GOP argued the\u200d Democratic-led Legislature\u200b intentionally diluted Republican votes in the state\u2019s Congressional \u2062District 2\u200d (CD2), which had \u201cleaned Republican.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Plaintiffs\u200b presented emails between Democrat officials that showed they reapportioned the\u2063 state\u2019s three congressional districts to ensure a \u201cbalancing\u201d of districts, each with 53 percent \u2062or above of\u200d registered\u2062 Democrat voters.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:1200px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham listens to President Joe Biden&#8217;s speech about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/17-gop-senators-move-to-stop-bidens-latest-college-loan-bailout\/\" title=\"17 Republican Senators Seek to Halt Biden's New College Loan Rescue\">student\u200b debt relief<\/a> at Central New \u2062Mexico Community College Student \u2062Resource Center in\u2062 Albuquerque,\u200c N.M., on Nov. 3, 2022. (Saul Loeb\/AFP \u2064via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>GOP: Gerrymander Led \u2063to\u2062 Flip<\/h2>\n<p>In the 2022 midterms, Rep. Gabe \u200dVasquez (D-N.M.) unseated Republican incumbent Yvette\u200b Herrell by 50.32 percent \u200bto 49.68 percent, less than 1,500 votes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>In the ruling,\u200b Judge Van Soelen wrote that \u200c\u201cobjective evidence \u2062presented shows the resulting dilution of\u200c the plaintiffs\u2019 vote was substantial\u201d\u200d but not enough of\u2063 \u201can egregious partisan gerrymander\u201d \u200cto be unconstitutional\u200b under state law.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome degree\u2063 of \u200da\u200d partisan gerrymander is permissible,\u201d he wrote. \u201cIt\u200d is \u2063only \u200dwhen partisan\u2064 gerrymanders are\u2062 \u2018egregious\u2019 that Constitutional \u200cprotections \u200dare indicated.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The judge determined the\u200c contested redistricting met the state\u2019s \u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.democracydocket.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/657356090-Republican-Party-of-New-Mexico-v-Oliver-New-Mexico-Supreme-Court-Order.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">test<\/a> \u200b for preventing an \u201cegregious partisan \u200bgerrymander\u201d and plaintiffs did not prove \u201cthe disparate treatment of vote dilution rises to\u200d the level of an egregious gerrymander.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>While\u2062 the \u200cLegislature intended \u200bto \u201centrench their party in [CD 2],\u2063 and they succeeded in\u2062 substantially \u200ddiluting \u2064their\u200c opponents\u2019 votes,\u201d given \u201cvariables \u200dthat go into predicting future election outcomes, coupled with the\u2064 competitive outcome of the only actual election \u200bheld so far\u201d under the \u200dmap, plaintiffs\u2064 did not provide evidence to show that the\u200d defendants \u2063were \u201csuccessful in their attempt to entrench their party in Congressional District 2,\u201d \u2062he \u2062wrote.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The \u200dRepublican Party of New Mexico Chairman and former U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce said in\u2064 a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NewMexicoGOP\/status\/1710413584428310971\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement<\/a> that the ruling is \u201cbigger than Republican or Democrat.\u2063 It struck at the heart of our Republic, the form of government that\u200b allows all beliefs to have a voice.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Mr.\u2063 Pearce said \u200dJudge Van Soelen acknowledged CD\u2064 2\u2019s \u200bpartisan \u200dgerrymandering\u200d but somehow decided\u2062 a shift \u201c18 points\u2063 in favor of Democrats\u201d \u200cwas not \u201cegregious enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe gerrymandered districts disenfranchise \u200bthe votes\u200d of all conservative\u2064 voters: Hispanic,\u200b Native American,\u200b Black, and all other pro-family, pro-parent,\u2062 pro-gun, \u200bpro-life voters, farmers, and oil and gas workers,\u201d he said. \u201cDemocrat, Republican, and Independents \u2064alike have\u200c lost their voice.\u2064 New \u2062Mexico&#8217;s primary industry is undermined, \u200cand jobs are at stake.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The state\u2019s Republican\u2062 Party \u201cbelieves the fight is too important \u200cto accept this setback without contest,\u201d Mr. Pearce said. \u201cOn behalf \u200cof\u2062 all disenfranchised voters in the state of New Mexico, [the state GOP] will be \u200cappealing our case to the New Mexico Supreme \u200bCourt.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What claims were made by the \u2063Republican Party\u2064 of New \u2063Mexico regarding\u200b the\u2064 post-2020 Census reapportionment in the \u2064state?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  A Victory for New Mexico Democrats: Judge Upholds Congressional Map<\/p>\n<p>In a significant \u200cvictory for the Democratic Party in New Mexico, a \u20649th Judicial\u2062 District \u2063judge has\u200d upheld \u2062the state&#8217;s\u200b post-2020 Census reapportionment. The ruling dismisses \u2063claims made by the Republican Party of\u200b New Mexico that the congressional\u200c map created by the Democrat-led state legislature is a \u200b&#8221;racial gerrymander&#8221; and therefore \u2062violates\u2062 the state&#8217;s Constitution.<\/p>\n<p>The 14-page ruling, \u2062issued on October\u200c 6, is \u200bexpected to be challenged by the state&#8217;s\u200c GOP. However,\u200d it\u200b virtually\u2063 ensures that New Mexico&#8217;s three congressional \u2063districts, all currently \u200drepresented by Democrats, will remain unchanged for the \u200d2024 elections.<\/p>\n<p>The New Mexico congressional\u2064 map lawsuit is just one of many similar cases\u2064 currently taking place\u2062 in state and federal courts across the country. These\u200d cases \u2062involve allegations \u200bof \u2064racial gerrymandering and its impact on the integrity\u2062 of congressional districts. \u2063One such case, Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, \u200cis\u200b scheduled to be \u2062heard \u200cbefore the United States Supreme Court on \u200cOctober 11.<\/p>\n<p>The outcome of these \u2063court decisions will have significant implications for the composition of \u200dCongress, potentially making it more difficult for Republicans\u2064 to expand or maintain their current 222\u2013212 majority \u200cin\u2063 the\u200c U.S. House of\u2062 Representatives during the 2024 elections.<\/p>\n<p>The recent ruling in New Mexico follows another notable decision made on October \u20625 by a three-judge\u200b panel of the U.S. Northern District of Alabama. This ruling resulted in the creation of a\u2063 new Alabama congressional\u2063 map that includes one \u2063majority-black\u200c district and another\u2062 near-black-majority \u200cdistrict, \u200cwhich is presumed to favor Democrats. Currently, Alabama&#8217;s congressional delegation \u200dconsists \u200dof six Republicans and\u200c one Democrat.<\/p>\n<p>It is \u200banticipated that Alabama&#8217;s new map will also be in \u200bplace for the \u20622024 elections, despite possible challenges by state GOP officials. The Supreme Court&#8217;s recent ruling in Allen v. Milligan further\u200c supports the\u2064 validity of\u200b the new map.<\/p>\n<p>These rulings highlight\u2063 the ongoing battle over the redrawing of congressional districts and the potential impact on political representation. As these cases continue\u200b to unfold, their \u200boutcomes will shape the future \u2063of \u200cCongress and have lasting effects on the balance of \u200cpower \u200dbetween \u200cDemocrats and Republicans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>that the Democrat-led state legislature&#8217;s congressional map, accused of being a &#8220;racial gerrymander,&#8221; will remain in place. The ruling by a New Mexico judge upholds the state&#8217;s post-2020 Census reapportionment, dismissing claims made by the Republican Party of New Mexico. The GOP plans to challenge the ruling, but its chances of success seem slim.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":509,"featured_media":2059351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2059350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2059350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/509"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2059350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2059350\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2059351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2059350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2059350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2059350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}