Arizona redistricting panel approves map that appears to favor Republicans

Arizona’s Independent Redistricting Commission on Wednesday unanimously gave the green light to a map that will likely favor Republicans going into the midterms next year. 

The map, which was approved by a 5-0 vote, would favor five Republicans in the state’s nine congressional districts, according to the Arizona Republic. The publication also reported that the map could potentially favor Republicans in six congressional districts. In comparison, the current congressional map is made up of five Democrats and four Republicans. 

The newly-approved map puts the congressional districts of Democratic Reps. Tom O’Halleran (Arizona) and Anne Kirkpatrick (Arizona) in Republicans’ favor. Kirkpatrick is already set to retire and O’Halleran is on the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee’s target list. 

The redistricting commission is made up of two Republicans, two Democrats, and independent chair Erika Neuberg. 

Neuberg said the map was a “sweet spot for all sides to be well-positioned,” adding that “each side is deeply disappointed by aspects of this map,” according to the Arizona Republic. 

Democratic commissioners reportedly voiced concerns about the map on Tuesday, but few changes were made before the final vote took place on Wednesday. 

The commission is expected to continue to work on boundaries for Arizona’s 30 legislative districts. That final decision is slated to come later on Wednesday. 

The approval of the map comes after a tumultuous process to redraw the maps, a process that has been taking place across the country as a result of the 2020 census. 

In November, lawmakers in the GOP-controlled state Senate voted 21-6 to approve Gov. Jan Brewer’s (R-Ariz.) decision to boot Colleen Mathis, who chaired the redistricting commission, for what Brewer alleged was “substantial neglect of duty or gross misconduct in office.”