Redistricting group selects Chandler woman as its chair
A Chandler psychologist was selected Thursday as the tie breaker for decisions that will shape Arizona’s political future and potentially shift the balance of power between Republicans and Democrats in the state.
The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission chose Erika Schupak Neuberg to serve as its chair and lead the once-a-decade process of redrawing the state’s congressional and legislative boundaries.
With the commission comprising two Republicans and two Democrats, the state Constitution requires an independent to hold the chair role. Still, the selection was fraught with questions about who among the five nominees was truly independent.
Neuberg said after her election on Thursday that Republicans, Democrats and independents would have fair representation in the redistricting process.
“I truly view this as a collective vote of confidence in the legitimacy and independence of our process by all parties involved,” Neuberg said.
A graduate of Colorado College with a master’s degree and doctorate in psychology from Arizona State University, Neuberg has been active in politics as a national board member of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
The state Democratic Party raised concerns that she had donated thousands of dollars to Gov. Doug Ducey’s reelection campaign.
Neuberg said she has given to Democrats, too, and that her political advocacy is focused on American-Israeli relations.
“I am agnostic when it comes to party,” she said during a commission hearing last week.
Neuberg added that while she could cast tie-breaking votes, she would aim to have robust majorities reflected in the commission’s votes.
“If it’s always 3-2 and especially if it’s always in one direction, it’s a warning sign,” she said.
The unanimous 4-0 votes to elect Neuberg chair and Democratic appointee Derrick Watchman as vice-chair made for a smooth start to an often con
tentious and litigious process.
Created by Arizona voters in 2000, the redistricting commission took the drawing of boundaries for congressional and legislative districts out of the hands of lawmakers and gave it to this five-member body. Intended to create more independence from politicians, the commission is still a political target. Republican lawmakers fought the commission all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court during the last round of redistricting, for example, arguing it cannot draw the boundaries of congressional districts.
How commissioners were picked
The commission’s four partisan members were nominated by the commission on appellate court appointments, a judicial nominating committee, and later appointed by legislative leaders.
The same nominating committee put forward five independents the commission could choose for a chair.
Democratic legislators argued the judicial nominating committee should have interviewed more applicants of color. Only white applicants were nominated by the committee for the post of chairman. Among the commissioners, three are white and one is Native American.
Meanwhile, state Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, publicly backed an independent the committee had nominated — the owner of a northern Arizona gun store that hosted an event promoting former President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign.
Democrats argued he was hardly independent.
With all members now in place, the commission is somewhat ahead of schedule.
The Democratic appointees are Watchman, of Window Rock, and Shereen Lerner, of Tempe. The Republican appointees are David Mehl, of Tucson, and Douglas York, of Paradise Valley.
The commission will rely on data from the latest census to redraw the boundaries of congressional and legislative districts. The federal government has not yet finalized that data.
The panel will convene virtually at 9 a.m. on Feb. 2 and is expected to proceed in the near future with hiring key staff, such as an executive director and general counsel.