Minimal changes in Dem, GOP remap plans

State Supreme Court has till Feb. 15 to finalize congressional districts

Proposed maps that revamp Connecticut’s congressional district boundaries, submitted by legislative Democrats and Republicans ahead of the Connecticut Supreme Court’s redistricting public hearing on Friday, would make relatively few changes to the state’s existing five congressional districts.

Both parties said, in briefs submitted for the court’s redistricting expert Nathan Persily to consider, they’re suggesting minimal changes to accommodate the state’s shifting population and to comply with the court’s order that districts be changed “only to the extent reasonably required” to ensure they are as equal in population as practicable and meet other requirements.

“Given the 2020 Census data, the five Congressional districts should each have a target population of 721,189,” the Democrats wrote in their brief. “The principal challenge in equalizing the districts requires moving people into the Second District, which is underpopulated by 21,288 people, and moving people out of the Fourth District, which is overpopulated by 25,627 people.”

By adjusting the population in those two districts, which don’t border one another, some adjustments were made in both plans to remaining districts.

The Democrats said their proposed map moves district lines in only four towns that were already divided between two congressional districts. Under their plan, the Republicans said the congressional districts will still retain an average of 96.5% of current residents. However, they said their proposed map reduces the current number of towns split between two congressional districts from five to four.

Yet the Republicans, who previously advocated for more substantial changes, suggested Persily recommend the court consider a

“good government” map for the 2022 redistricting that uses traditional redistricting principles, such as keeping the districts compact and including communities of interest. They point to the oddly shaped First Congressional District as a prime example of gerrymandering, at one point recommending the Hartford-centric district look much more cohesive.

The current shape of the district is often said to resemble a lobster claw. It was created in 2001 to ensure two incumbent members of Congress could run for re-election after the state lost a congressional district.

“This created the First District’s bizarre shape, which fails to comport with traditional redistricting principles,” the GOP wrote in its brief.

Connecticut’s highest court last month appointed Persily, a Stanford University law professor who served as Connecticut’s special master in 2011, after the bipartisan Connecticut Reapportionment Commission couldn’t reach an agreement on redrawing the congressional district boundaries. The panel of state legislators did reach bipartisan deals on new legislative district lines.

Persily is required to submit his congressional redistricting plan to the State Supreme Court on or before Jan. 18. The justices, who will then accept additional submissions, will have until Feb. 15 to establish the final maps.