How Redistricting Has Affected Colorado’s Congressional Races
For the first time, Colorado’s new congressional map was drawn by an independent commission this cycle, after Colorado voters passed a ballot measure in 2018 that took the redistricting process out of the state Legislature’s hands. The Democrats who control state government may now regret that decision, though, as the map is slightly biased toward the GOP: for example, the state’s median congressional districts is 5 percentage points redder than the state as a whole. However, it’s plausible that the map could produce anything from a five-Democrat, three-Republican congressional delegation to a five-Republican, three-Democrat delegation.
Colorado gained a new congressional district this year due to population growth, and that new 8th District is the state’s most competitive, with a FiveThirtyEight partisan lean of R+3. Tonight, the lone Democratic candidate, Yadira Caraveo, will find out which of four Republicans she will face in November.
Meanwhile, redistricting also made Colorado’s 7th District 9 percentage points redder, making it potentially competitive this year, too. As a result, three Republicans are vying for the nomination there.