David Mehl /Photo by Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services
By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services
The Independent Redistricting Commission is moving to give Republicans an edge in electing members of Congress for the coming decade.
And one of the ways that is happening is with changes being pushed by David Mehl, a Republican on the commission, for the area in and around Tucson. Those changes could help Juan Ciscomani win the seat in what would become Congressional District 6, an area roughly comparable with the one that has been occupied for the past four years by Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick, who is retiring.
Mehl’s plan would move many Democrats out of CD 6 and into Congressional District 7. That is the district proposed to run from midtown Tucson west to Yuma and north into the largely Latino areas on the western edge of Phoenix.
That is the area that, generally speaking, is currently represented by Raul Grijalva. And there already is little danger to Grijalva — or any other Democrat — as draft maps show that voter registration and historical voting patterns would give Democrats a 2-1 edge.
Mehl would push the boundary between the two districts all the way to Alvernon Way in Tucson.
That runs contrary to the wishes of Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, a Democrat.
Responding to her earlier concerns about dividing downtown from the University of Arizona, commissioners agreed to move the line to Campbell Avenue.
Mehl, however, said that’s not far enough, calling Alvernon Way “midtown.” Anyway, he said, all that area east of the campus, all the way out to Alvernon Way, should also be considered part of the university community.
That alteration, however, changes the political balance, giving CD 6 more of a Republican edge than if the line is on Campbell Avenue.
