November 13, 2011 09:55 PM UTC

Should Republicans Appeal Redistricting Decision?

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• by: Colorado Pols

Noted by The Hill’s Cameron Joseph:

The [new Colorado congressional district] map does not dramatically affect the total partisan balance of the swing state: Colorado has had three swing seats in the last decade, and it will continue to do so. But Republicans had hoped for an incumbent-protection plan that would have locked in the 4-3 edge they currently hold in the state delegation.

Republicans are still mulling over an appeal to the state supreme court, but it’s unclear what the chances that challenge would have and some are nervous the court could alter the map to make it even worse for them.

It was reported late Thursday, immediately following Judge Robert Hyatt’s ruling, that Colorado Republicans would decide right away whether or not to appeal the decision to the Colorado Supreme Court–a quick decision would probably be a decision to appeal, of course. But on Friday, Colorado GOP chairman Ryan Call put the decision off until sometime this week.

Like we said on Friday, there may be less incentive to appeal this map further than exists to accept it and start work on plans to defend GOP incumbents based on it. We’ve seen nothing from anyone to suggest that the map has an actionable legal problem. Even if it does, the risk that the courts might come up with a new map even worse for the GOP, for example stripping away some of the Republican-leaning exurbs added to CD-4, is considerable.

Now the last thing we want to do is psych out Greg Brophy again–since we seem to have that effect easily on him–so we’ll put it to our astute readers in the form of a poll (follows). Tell us, not based on your partisan leanings but frankly assessing Republican political interests, whether you think the Colorado GOP should appeal Judge Hyatt’s map.

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