Public Comments

Please make all CDs more competitive, not just CD7 & CD8. If you just make CD7 & CD8 more competitive, they will be more Republican, which will show your partisan bias. Why? Because you do not want to make CD3 more competitive because that would make it more Democrat. Please follow the constitution & make all Congressional Districts more competitive.

I am a Mesa County voter. I have reviewed the recent maps and believe that the southern Colorado are described, roughly south of the San Juan Mountains and including Cortez, Durango, Pueblo, Pagosa Springs and the San Luis Valley, although diverse in the character of its population, shares a common history, culture, economy and transportation network. The same area shares less of those interests with the Grand Junction to Vail and I-70 corridor. Further, the same Equivalent Minority Representation (EMR) map would provide greater representation to the western slope of Colorado because the western slope would have two representatives representing its interests, as opposed the single representative to be elected in the "unified western slope" models. This would be especially beneficial to western slope citizens when issues of water, wilderness and public lands, transportation and economic development are considered by Congress. The EMR map describes an area which contains a significant Latinx population and Native American population potentially providing those underrepresented ethnic groups with the opportunity to be a significant factor in the election of a Congressional representative sensitive to the issues important to the Latinx and Native American citizens of the district. If the unified western slope model continues to include Pueblo(which is not part of the western slope), it ignores the distinct differences and interests that the Pueblo population has with the western slope. Pueblo has much more in common with the area south of the San Juan Mountains by virtue of history, culture, ethnicity, transportation and economy that it does with the area north of the San Juan Mountains. Pueblo has few common interests with the western slope of Colorado. The commission is charged with creation of districts that are geographically compact. The current CD3 cover a huge are interrupted and complicated by mountain passes and mountain roads from north to south and east to west. The EMR model would make more compact districts and make travel within each district more manageable and practical. A congressional representative elected in the proposed southern district would concentrate travel along US route 160, east to west. A congressional representative elected in the proposed district to the north would travel the I-70 corridor east to west and NOT BE CONCERNED with the crossing Red Mountain Pass or Lizard Pass to visit constituents n Durango, Cortez, Pagosa Springs and fly to Pueblo. Maria C. Keenan

I've been reading up on the various re-districting maps. I advocate strongly for the Schuster map option. I believe it creates more competitive districts - something that is needed for better cooperation and better governance. Blair Zykan Registered Independent

Please consider the Schuster Map for Colorado's redistricting. The Schuster Map makes a Southern Colorado district with Latino and Native heritage possible, it creates three competitive districts in the process - more competitive than the Second Staff Map. Southwest Colorado has very little shared common interest with Grand Junction, Craig, and Boulder. Schuster uses two districts for Western Colorado that much more compactly reflect communities of interest on the ground. The Schuster Map keeps Southwest Colorado together, keeps the Roaring Fork Valley together, and keeps the San Luis Valley together with Pueblo and Pueblo's agricultural region. It keeps more communities of interest whole than the Second Staff Map. The Schuster Map keeps Mesa County whole with its major economic and extractive industries neighbor of Garfield County to the north. The Schuster Map is the most competitive map still on the commission's docket, creating three competitive districts. Southern Colorado is so diverse in our politics between communities but so interdependent in our economies and future. Rural agricultural communities need mountain town markets and jobs. Competitive districts are needed for our region to create solutions and work together.

Greetings, I am writing today as a concerned, registered voter. I would like to express my preference for the "Schuster Map" currently being considered. I live in La Plata County--in the southwest corner of the State. I feel the Schuster Map produces the most fair, most competitive map for the 3rd District. I am much more closely connected to Pueblo than Grand Junction. Please adopt the Schuster Map, it is my preference. Thank you, Tim Pankowski

This redistricting is not only a fair break-down of the area in question, but also a plan which makes the constituents of each new district much more relevant to the communities they are located in.

I want competitive districts in as many districts as possible. I think it is wrong (biased) to create 'safe' districts for any political party. I work to improve my community - which I interpret as 1. local (my dirt road); 2. my county (small, rural western Colorado county); 3. western slope of Colorado; 4. state of Colorado 5. United States 6. global. We are all very interconnected in so many ways. Thus, ensuring diversity at every level and that as many people are 'heard' as possible is critical for a well functioning society. (in contradistinction to what we have now). Of all the proposed maps, I support the revised Schuster Map.

Second staff map is by far the best option. Common interests regarding tourism, effects of climate crisis, etc.

I hope you will give serious consideration to the "Schuster" map, which in my opinion has the advantage of keeping Southwest Colorado together, keeping the Roaring Fork Valley together, and keeping the San Luis Valley together with Pueblo and Pueblo's agricultural region. It keeps more communities of interest whole than the Second Staff Map. It also creates three competitive districts in the process - more competitive than the Second Staff Map.

The Shuster map is competitive. It gives Native Americans and Latinx a voice separate from Grand Junction. It keeps the Valley together.