Public Comments

I object to the proposed redistricting proposal putting Fort Collins in with the Eastern Plains grouping rather than Larimer county. Fort Collins’ population is exploding with the focus on our urban environment, centralized university, focused on fire mitigation, and environmental ecology. Culturally, economically, and our aspirations for environmental ecology progression are just some of the reasons we should not be lumped in with the eastern region of Colorado. Not to mention the political dichotomy between these two regions. Larimer county has been our home and should remain such.

Fort Collins is more culturally similar to Larimer County and does not belong in a district with Weld or Yuma County. I oppose the proposed redistricting which puts Fort Collins with these counties.

After reviewing the First Staff Plan for Congressional Redistricting, I respectfully suggest that the Staff Plan fractures communities of interest in much of rural Colorado, Larimer and Weld County, and unconstitutionally elevates considerations of ethnicity and partisan voting patterns above the Constitutional criteria that the Commission is required to place before considerations of competitiveness. Because of the way this Staff map is drawn, the seven Denver Metro counties will be the dominant voices in six of the eight Congressional Districts. Only Colorado Springs and Southern Colorado will not be substantially influenced by the seven Denver Metro Counties. The ideal population for each district is 721,714. I have calculated the percentage of each District population that is drawn from the seven Denver Metro counties of: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson. Here is how the Proposed Map allows Metro Denver to dominate six districts, instead of five: District 1: 100% District 2: 56.1% District 3: zero District 4: 47.5% District 5: zero District 6: 100% District 7: 80.7% District 8: 64% Denver Metro as percentage of state population: 56%. Dividing both Larimer and Weld Counties among three congressional districts effectively fractures representation of a community of interest that is approaching the same in population as Denver, and is projected to be the fastest growing area of the state. I have submitted a proposed map that creates a Northern Colorado 8th District centered on Larimer and Weld Counties. This map reflects the extensive communities of interest shared by Larimer and Weld Counties, as demonstrated by state regional administration of numerous public policies that are driven or influenced by federal policies and funding,. It also more closely preserves rural communities of interest on the Eastern Plains and Western Slope while aligning Denver Metro area Congressional representation more closely with the population found in the Denver Metro area.

Hello, my name is Brita Horn. A mom, ranchwife, and volunteer fire chief. I have lived in rural Routt County for over 30 years and have been married to lifelong rancher Gary Horn and raised two daughters on our family ranch. I am speaking as a ranchwife and mother. With all due respect, this congressional map for the Western Slope is simply horrible! Splitting Western Slope in half is removing our rural voice. There is widespread concern from my neighbors, family and friends that the Western Slope is not properly illustrated with this map. There’s no way that our “community of interest” is being represented. Our community is rural ranching and has respect for our western heritage. Hard working men and women laboring in our rich mountain soil to provide food that ends up on kitchen tables across Colorado. There is a tremendous sense of community, especially when when someone needs assistance. Neighbors that voluntarily get up in the middle of the night to rush to an emergency scene to a local or someone passing through our community. Our small town rural lifestyle provides less hustle and bustle and sought after by those that want less stress and more open mountain spaces. Driving thru our rural community is like a parade. Waving back and forth knowing the name of who’s driving the pickup truck that just past by. We have nothing in common with urban areas that are included in this first staff map. This map is gerrymandering and is worse than 2011! Not to mention it is inconsistent with the vast majority of public testimony you have heard today and all summer. Do not water down the voice of rural Colorado. Agriculture in Colorado is a multi billion dollar industry and needs proper representative government. No one anywhere said all of Boulder, rural Grand, Routt, Jackson, Moffat, Rio Blanco and parts Garfield County should be in the same district, but rather the complete opposite. Finally, as one of the Routt County Board Members for Club 20, I support for keeping Western Slope in ONE congressional district. I unequivocally support the Club 20 map as submitted. Thank you

We in Ft. Collins have nothing in common with the Eastern Plains. Please leave us where we are!

TRYING TO PUT AS MANY SOCIALIST PROGRESSIVES IN EVERY DISTRICT IS DISGUSTING. YOU SHOULD PUT RURAL COMMON SENSE FOLKS TOGETHER.

Please listen to the people of Colorado. The Western Slope combined with Boulder is wrong.

I am writing to express my opposition and deep concern regarding proposed District 4. I am a resident of Fort Collins. The contrasts between Fort Collins and the rest of the proposed district are clear. The intent of Colorado’s Constitution (Section 44 (3)(b), Article V) is that communities will be aligned r/t interest and relevant matters of public policy. The issues of public concern in Fort Collins versus eastern Colorado are quite different. Also, the proposed District would separate Larimer County’s seat of government in Fort Collins from the rest of the County which would be in District 2. That doesn't make sense. Thank you for considering my comments and for your work on this issue.

Lauren Boebert is not representative of Grand County’s morals or values. She is also a conspiracy theory advocate and seditionist with no meaningful value to add to our government.

As a Coloradoan that submitted applications to serve on the "Colorado Independent Redistricting Committees," I am disappointed to see that your committee has demonstrated that they are anything but "Independent." For too long, Colorado has allowed the process of re-districting to be partisan instead of what is best for Coloradans. Your recent attempt at drawing congressional districts again proves that the process has remained partisan, lacks integrity, shows no sense of conformity within the communities, and sticks it to rural Colorado again. Why have rules for your committee if you have no intention of following them? The committee adopted rules on July 9th that defined "Community of interest" as "any group in Colorado that shares one or more substantial interests that may be the subject of state legislative action, is composed of a reasonably proximate population, and thus should be considered for inclusion with a single district for purposes of ensuring its fair and effective representation." Such interests include but are not limited to matters reflecting shared public policy concerns: of urban, rural, agricultural, industrial, or trade areas; and such as education, employment, environment, public health, transportation, water needs and supplies, and issues of demonstrable regional significance. Groups that may comprise a community of interest include racial, ethnic, and language minority groups, subject to compliance with Article V, section 48.1 (1)(b) and (4)(b) of the Colorado Constitution, which protect against the denial or abridgment of the right to vote due to a person's race or language minority group. "Community of interest" does not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or political candidates. With any common sense, no one using your definition of "Community of Interest" could ever justify combining Boulder County with any Western Slope community? Do you really believe Boulder County has commonality with any rural county in the State? There is no rational justification for that decision other than political. Taking Ft. Collins and combining it with Greeley, are you kidding? You're better off mixing oil with water. Just because they are in the same general area, rest assured, they don't have much in common. Boulder and Ft. Collins should have remained together if you weren't trying to be political. The problem is simple. If you had courage, you would begin by breaking up the Denver metro area in a way that could have created districts that could become competitive in the future. Do you think it's in the best interest of Coloradoans that Congressional District 1, Denver, has been represented by only two representatives for 48 years, basically unchallenged? Are you telling Coloradoans that Denver, Boulder, Broomfield, and a whole host of other metropolitan cities have less commonality than Yuma and Ft. Collins, or Castle Rock and Lamar would? What you're doing to rural Colorado is hanging them out to dry with no representation. If your representative doesn't need to be accountable to a particular portion of their district because the population center is insignificant in that area of the district, then how is that representation? My whole purpose in applying for the commission was to help move Colorado towards competitive Congressional districts. Although I'm a republican and would like to see more republicans win statewide, I believe that competitive districts with commonality force both parties to run better candidates, which is good for Colorado. We should not reward either party a slam dunk district. When we do, the district's people lose. When we put the party above the people's interest, we get districts such as one and two or districts 3 and 4 where the only race is the primary. The is no vigorous debate or the exchange of ideas in Colorado now, and with your proposed map, that will continue another decade. Non-competitive districts do not allow the people to hold their representatives accountable for their actions. Districts should be drawn in a fashion that encourages debate and requires the representative to stand before the State's people every two years to be held accountable for their actions. Don't take the easy way out. Seize the opportunity to do what is in the best interest of the people of Colorado by forcing the parties to earn our votes. Clean up this map and provide Coloradoans a voice again.