Public Comments

I strongly support keeping Pueblo together with The San Luis Valley and Southern Colorado. Although Pueblo is organized as 'urban' many families are from these rural regions and often vote together. Even Arkansas Valley should be included in this Schuster map. I worked for University of Southern Colorado/Colorado State University-Pueblo as a recruiter and traveled this region extensively. Although these communities were different, their concerns were often the same. They were concerned with education that supported their cultural and economic lifestyles. They were concerned about the Arkansas River/Colorado River issue; one cannot farm without water. Our representation as Latinos is at risk if we lose our affiliation with Pueblo, Arkansas Valley, and San Luis Valley.

I strongly support the Schuster Map. It makes the most sense both competively and by keeping communities of interest together. It's also nice to see a district in Soutgern Colorado.

The Schuster map, far more than the other 2 maps the commission is considering, keeps communities and rural areas with similar economic needs and issues together. It has the potential to be genuinely balanced politically (not gerrymandered). Please be fair, not political, in your decision making. Partisan politics are destroying our country and destroying a healthy vibrant democracy, destroying the peoples' voices and and upending any potential compromises with issues that arise and problems that need solutions.

Hello. I just want to reach and share my concerns. Living in Steamboat Springs and in Routt County you learn this is a pretty unique and special place. The thought of re-districting concerns me. We are a ski town, but the county as a whole aligns more with the Ag and energy sector. More people depend on agriculture for their livelihood here and clumping us in with folks along the front range and Boulder would take away our voice. Much of what happens in the mountains and the western slope is lost on those in urban centers. Please take a moment to consider keeping areas together that are aligned in their heritage. The city of Steamboat might fit right in with Boulder, but the majority of the county population aligns with the western slope. Help preserve the special place that Steamboat has become. Thank you, Gaylan Routt County, CO.

I support the Schuster Map for these reasons: -- It not only makes a Southern Colorado district with Latino and Native heritage possible, it creates three competitive districts in the process. -- 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. -- It 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. ** It keeps Mesa County whole with its major economic and extractive industries neighbor of Garfield County to the north. -- It 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. Thank you for the opportunity to comment!

I'd like to see as many competitive districts as possible here in CO, and voted for the independent commission for that specific benefit. Of the maps I've seen, I believe the "Schuster" map is the best, creating three compact (as in not oblong or distorted) communities of interest, representing Colorado's outlying areas and creating more competitive districts in doing so. I strongly prefer the Schuster map.

I’m Pam Espinoza and I’m not representing any organization with my comments. I have lived in rural Colorado since 1970and vote in Las Animas County.  I have just become aware of the Schuster Map. I support this concept which includes a competitive southern Congressional District. As I testified previously, creating only western slope and eastern plains rural districts obliterates the diversity of rural Colorado. It dilutes communities of interest among rural Coloradoans of color, particularly LatinX voters. A strong, competitive southern District captures the actual community of interest of that part of the state and keeps the connection between the Pueblo area and the San Luis Valley strong. The proposed map also accomplishes a number of other priorities in other parts of the state including emphasizing the particular rural issues of northwest Colorado and preserving the Roaring Fork Valley in one district. The Constitutional requirement for competitiveness (very important to me and many other voters) is also better met with this map which creates three competitive districts in the state, one more than the Second Staff Plan which dooms CD3 to be noncompetitive for 10 years. With the required focus on priority Constitutional issues including compliance with the Voting Rights Act, compactness, same population in each district, etc., the critical importance of increasing the number of competitive districts should not be lost.

We (My wife and I) like the Schuster Map. It not only 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.

Gerrymandering has got to stop and should be illegal. Colorado joined the National Popular Vote for a reason. We are tired of repugnant politicians selecting their voters instead of Colorado voters selecting their politicians.

As a Colorado Native, raised on the Front Range but currently (since 1971) , resident of SW Colorado, I am adding my support to adapting the Schuster Map as the most equitable and sensible map still on your docket. As a raised Republican, Independent voter who is hard pressed to find good candidates in the dominate (Republican) party, I have felt extremely disenfranchised as a tax paying engaged voter in this part of our State. I firmly support the thoughtful establishment of more competitive districts in our region. The current districts have helped create polarization which is paralyzing to our economies and and communities. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.