The Roundhouse in Santa Fe (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
A Senate redistricting compromise announced Wednesday allows Democrats and Republicans to claim victory. But why does the plan leave more Republicans in Democratic Sen. Steve Fischmann’s district than even GOP Gov. Susana Martinez proposed?
Democratic State Sen. Steve Fischmann’s district currently leans Republican. Some 41.7 percent of registered voters in the district are Democrats and, performance-wise – the way voters in the district actually vote – his district is listed as being 52.1 Republican and 47.9 percent Democratic.
So it would seem to be a win for Fischmann that, under a compromise redistricting plan announced Wednesday, the performance measure shifts in Fischmann’s district to 50-50, and the percentage of Democrats increases to 42.8 percent.
But Fischmann’s district was due to shift to the left. What’s interesting is that the compromise plan, which most expect the judge in the redistricting case to approve, makes Fischmann’s district less Democratic-leaning than even Gov. Susana Martinez proposed. In her initial plan, Martinez proposed that the Las Cruces-area District 37 have a performance measure of 50.5 percent Democratic and 49.5 percent Republican, and that the percentage of registered Democrats be 43.4 percent.
So in a compromise between the governor and others, how did Fischmann’s district retain more Republicans than even the Republican governor was proposing?
That’s one of the big mysteries of the compromise plan. The bottom line: Performance-wise, the plan makes Fischmann’s district the most competitive in the Senate. The others generally considered most competitive are also held by Democrats:
- District 15, currently represented by Tim Eichenberg of Albuquerque, would go from performance numbers of 51.1 percent Democratic and 48.9 percent Republican, with 45.6 percent of voters being registered Democrats, to performance numbers of 52 percent Democratic and 48 percent Republican, with 46.3 percent of registered voters being Democrats.
- District 9, represented by John Sapien of Corrales, would go from performance numbers of 53.3 percent Republican and 46.7 Democratic, with 42.2 percent of registered voters being Democrats, to performance numbers of 50.5 Democratic and 49.5 percent Republican, with 45.8 percent of registered voters being Democrats.
You can view the compromise plan here. For comparison, here are the current districts.
Victories for both sides
Democrats can claim victory because the compromise makes the three most contentious districts in the Senate more Democratic-leaning. Republicans can claim victory because they kept those three districts competitive and, in the process, kept Republican Sen. John Ryan in the Albuquerque-area district he currently represents (the Legislature’s proposal would have moved him into another district) and avoided putting any Republican incumbents in districts that are as competitive as the three held by Fischmann, Eichenberg and Sapien.
Under the new plan each party loses an incumbent: Republicans Rod Adair of Roswell and William Burt of Alamogordo are in the same district and will have to run against each other in a primary if one doesn’t step aside. Democrats Eric Griego and Gerald Ortiz y Pino of Albuquerque are also moved into the same district, though Griego is giving up his seat to run for Congress.
If it sounds like Republicans got more out of the deal than Democrats, keep in mind that a coalition of Republicans and a handful of conservative Democrats controls the Senate. And, when considering that Fischmann’s district has more Republicans than even Martinez sought, keep in mind that he’s not part of that coalition.
On the flip side, remember that, a few years ago, Republicans represented the seats now held by Fischmann, Eichenberg and Sapien. Making them safer for Democrats is a huge victory for the party of the left.
Why a compromise? The governor’s earlier victory in the fight over redistricting of state House seats created a climate in which both sides were more likely to work together: Democrats didn’t want to lose the Senate battle as well, and the governor didn’t want to risk having her House victory overshadowed by a loss in the battle over Senate district boundaries.
Both sides pleased
Martinez was pleased with the Senate compromise. From spokesman Scott Darnell:
“As in the congressional redistricting trial, when the governor saw an opportunity for bipartisan compromise, she took the initiative to cross the aisle to accomplish it. The governor is pleased with the bipartisan agreement that has been reached on this Senate map. As compared to the map passed during the special session, the compromise map better equalizes population among Senate districts, and ensures swing districts remain competitive so that New Mexicans will have a strong voice in who represents them. This map exemplifies the kind of compromise and cooperation the governor hopes will continue during the upcoming legislative session.”
Democratic Party of New Mexico Chairman Javier Gonzales complained about Martinez’s veto of the Legislature’s plan, which landed Senate redistricting in court, but was still pleased with the compromise. From his statement:
“This compromise plan is not a victory for one political party or another, it’s a victory for New Mexicans and the constitutional principle of one person, one vote.”