STATE & NATIONAL LEGAL EXPERTS NOW REVIEWING MAPS BEFORE POTENTIAL COURT ACTION
| Albuquerque, December 21–Today, the Republican Party of New Mexico is announcing that the unlawful, manipulative actions by the legislature while redistricting our maps are under a robust legal review by state and national experts ahead of a potential lawsuit. The maps Gov. Lujan Grisham signed into law are nothing more than a Democratic power grab and a clear attempt to put New Mexico’s Congressional and legislative districts in the control of Democrats. These approved maps are partisan, far from fair representation, and they are a disservice to constituents. The following is a statement from Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Steve Pearce: “Gerrymandering is supposed to be illegal – but it becomes downright immoral when it suppresses the voices of any group of people. Brian Egolf, Speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives, promised last year what he would do to suppress those voices, saying that any nonpartisan efforts to fairly redraw the maps would ‘weaken Democrats’ advantage in the Legislature, and the Democratic agenda goes out the window. His comments were widely condemned, including by Dick Mason with the League of Women Voters who said Egolf’s comments are ‘pitting progressive issues versus redistricting reform.’ But in last week’s special session of the legislature he followed through on that promise. The redistricting maps drawn by his co-conspirators in the legislature suppressed the Hispanic South Valley of Albuquerque to bring more affluent voters from the metroplex into the First Congressional District. As Sen. Jacob Candelaria said, this change raises legal issues ‘about the dilution of Hispanic voices.’ The wealthier part of Lea County was split off from the rest of the county and placed into the Third District that includes one of the highest property values of the state, Santa Fe. Accordingly, the voices of the Navajo Nation, an area that traditionally struggles economically, are now diluted down even more than they were in previous years. The tone-deaf Democrats in the state legislature systematically silenced the voices of working men and women throughout New Mexico; they purposefully and spitefully split communities, tribal lands, racial groups and counties. When politicians ignore the people, you wind up with a state that is last in education and first in crime. The Republican Party of New Mexico is committed to pursuing robust legal action to challenge this attempt to silence the voices of New Mexicans.” |
| The Republican Party of New Mexico (RPNM) advances the ideals of individual liberties for the advancement of its citizens and the greater prosperity of our communities throughout New Mexico. Led by an Executive Board and its Chairman, former NM Congressman Steve Pearce, RPNM serves all New Mexicans via its headquarters in Albuquerque and can be contacted at (505) 298-3662. |
