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Polis throws cold water on Dem push for Colorado redistricting to counter Texas
At a time of year when Texas tags seem to outnumber Colorado license plates in some mountain towns, the hottest debate in the nation is whether Democrats should do more than merely push back verbally against a blatant gerrymandering attempt by Lone Star State Republicans.
Prompted by President Donald Trump saying Texas is “entitled” to five more Republican seats, Republican lawmakers there are trying to radically redraw congressional maps to put Democrats at a disadvantage in order to keep the U.S. House of Representatives in GOP hands in 2026.
At stake next year is the House’s power of the purse enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and investigative committees if Democrats can regain control – something that typically happens in mid-term elections as pushback against the party in the White House. Democratic governors from California to Illinois to New York are considering reciprocal action if Texas succeeds.
Colorado, despite opposing Trump in the past three elections, has a split 4-4 congressional delegation thanks to the efforts of the state’s Independent Congressional Redistricting Committee that was formed by voters and enshrined in the Colorado Constitution in 2018.
Asked this week if Colorado Gov. Jared Polis would consider following the in the footsteps of other blue state governors in terms of redistricting – something that normally happens every 10 years after the U.S. Census – the governor’s office made it clear that wasn’t possible. Nor would it be a topic for the Colorado Legislature to take up at its upcoming special session.
“Colorado’s voter-approved independent congressional and Legislative Redistricting Commission is in the Colorado Constitution and adherence to it is not to the governor or legislature’s discretion,” Polis spokesperson Shelby Wieman wrote in an email Friday. “The special [session] is focused on addressing the fiscal impacts of HR1 [Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act] and redistricting is not part of the call nor does the legislature have the legal ability to do it.”
Former U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, the Democratic frontrunner in the state’s newest and closest district (CD8 on the Front Range), recently pushed for the state to find a way to answer the Texas maneuver.
“For the sake of the country, Democrats need to fight back,” Caraveo said in a press release. “I applaud Democrats around the country who are moving to redraw their own maps to counter this MAGA power grab and urge Colorado to repeal our independent commission and do the same.”
CD8 is currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, who narrowly defeated Caraveo in 2024. In a less competitive congressional district that encompasses much of western and southern Colorado, CD3, Democratic frontrunner Alex Kelloff faces a tough, uphill battle in a 9-point Republican-leaning district that elected U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd in 2024.
Democrat Adam Frisch lost to the Republican Hurd by 19,804 votes in 2024 but in 2022 came very close to beating controversial MAGA Republican Lauren Boebert, who eked out the win by just 546 votes. She wound up moving to the much safer Republican district of CD4 in 2024.
Democratic frontrunner Alex Kelloff did not provide a comment for this story.
The last Democrat to win the CD3 seat in 2008, blue dog moderate John Salazar, endorsed Kelloff’s congressional runlast month.
“Alex gets it — he knows what matters here,” Salazar, a fifth-generation San Luis Valley farmer, said in a press release. “Alex is committed to protecting rural communities and our water so that we don’t lose what is our lifeblood. I’m a farmer and a rancher, and that’s how I make my living. Like most of us here in rural Colorado, Alex is a moderate, interested in jobs, the economy, and health care. Alex will always fight for our way of life.”
Many observers say it would be very difficult for Democrats in Colorado to gerrymander the way Texas lawmakers are trying to do it. In fact, it might be impossible based on the state constitution and a 2003 state Supreme Court ruling and other factors, experts say. Still other political observers think it isn’t impossible and it’s a necessary evil in the face of unprecedented election rigging by Republicans.
Just don’t expect Gov. Polis to lead the charge in Colorado.
“Gerrymandering is bad for America and does not fairly represent the will of voters,” Polis spokesperson Eric Maruyama wrote in a statement to Rocky Mountain PBS. “Gov. Polis doesn’t believe politicians shouldn’t pick the people — the people should pick the politicians. It would not surprise Gov. Polis if blue states try to counter Texas if they actually attempt a craven and cynical mid-decade redistricting ploy.”
Editor’s note: This post will be updated with any additional comments.
David O. Williams
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