It appears that the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC) has determined a draft map for Congressional districts.
According to a AIRC press release, a congressional draft map has been chosen today.
Prescott, Prescott Valley and Chino Valley would all be in the same district (currently #4) as Lake Havasu City and all the river cities, Quartzite, Fortuna Foothills, Congress, Fountain Hills, Apache Junction, gold Canyon, Florence, Payson, Ash Fork, Kingman, Boulder and Colorado City.
Camp Verde, Sedona, Flagstaff, Williams, to name a few communities, are not in District 4. Instead, they are in District 1, which stretches all the way from Fredonia to the farthest southeastern corner.
This map will also mean that a different Congressman will need to be voted on to represent the Quad City areas, as there will not be an incumbent for the new district. Paul Gosar, the current representative for the area, will now serve District 1. He is expected to be challenged by Ann Kirkpatrick, who has already announced her intention to run again, after losing to Gosar two years ago.
Speaker of the House Andy Tobin expressed his obvious disappointment in the selection, tweeting, "So, Dems approve a map for congress dists that was amended this wkend and 1st presented today. So much for transparency, and independence."
Voting in favor of the map were Chairwoman Colleen Coyle Mathis, (I), Vice Chariman Jose' Herrera (D), Commissioner Linda McNulty (D). Commissioner Richard Stertz (R) voted no, and Vice Chairman Scott Freeman (R) abstained.
Here is the formal press release from the AIRC:
Redistricting Panel Adopts Draft Congressional Map
PHOENIX (Oct. 3, 2011) - Arizona's Independent Redistricting Commission voted 3-1 today, with one abstention, to adopt a draft congressional-district map.
The map has been posted online at http://bit.ly/o1I2vo. It includes two vast rural districts: a northeastern district stretching from the Navajo Nation on the Utah border to the southeastern corner of the state that includes most of the Arizona's Indian nations; and a so-called Colorado River district stretching from the Utah border to the northern part of Yuma. It contains two so-called majority-minority districts: one in South Phoenix and one that stretches from southern Yuma east to Santa Cruz County. Three of the districts touch the border with Mexico.
As a result of reapportionment, Arizona will have nine seats in the U.S. House of Representatives for the next decade.
The draft map reflects a number of revisions proposed today by Chairwoman Colleen Coyle Mathis (I-Pima County) after hearing public reaction to the map that was considered on Friday. She led off today's meeting in Tempe by walking her fellow commissioners through those changes.
Following some discussion and a period of public comment, she urged the commission to formally adopt the map.
"I think we've worked really hard on this, and it's time to move forward," she said.
Commissioner Linda McNulty (D-Pima County) moved to adopt the map. Vice Chairman José Herrera (D-Maricopa County) seconded the motion. Mathis, Herrera and McNulty voted "yes"; Commissioner Richard Stertz (R-Pima County) voted "no"; and Vice Chairman Scott Freeman (R-Maricopa County) abstained.
The adoption of the draft map triggers a 30-day public comment period highlighted by IRC hearings around the state during the middle of October.
Following their adoption of the congressional draft map, the commissioners returned to work on a legislative-district map.
Via: Prescott News
