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REDISTRICTING TASK FORCE SHIFTS STRATEGY
to Keep Nonpartisan Redistricting Alive

Created in early 2025, the NM Redistricting Task Force, composed of legislators, experts, and advocates, was established to revisit the principles outlined by the 2020 New Mexico First Redistricting Task Force. “These principles are not binding but they remain valuable contributions to the redistricting process. New Mexicans deserve a fair process in which legislators, experts, and advocates can bring their concerns forward for consideration,” said Hannah Burling, president of the New Mexico League of Women Voters.

With the resignation of one party’s members, the 2025 New Mexico Redistricting Task Force has lost its foundation of nonpartisanship. “What began as a genuine effort at collaboration to address voter suppression and promote fairness has been undermined. Without full representation, the Task Force can no longer fulfill its promise of fairness and balance,” said Burling. The New Mexico League of Women Voters and Fair Districts for New Mexico are the two organizations that sponsored the task force.

Partisan battles over congressional redistricting have become extreme, but they are separate from the work of reforming state office districts. “Blocking reform at the state level because Congress has not acted only harms New Mexicans while doing nothing to solve national problems,” said Burling.

The League of Women Voters emphasizes that gerrymandering in any form — including protecting incumbents — undermines the principle of “one person, one vote”.

The Task Force will continue as an educational panel, open to the public, through two webinars on September 10 and 17. Registration for the webinar is offered on the Fair Districts NM website, fairdistrictsnm.org.

“Unlike Texas and California, where mid-cycle redistricting focuses only on congressional districts, New Mexico’s reform efforts have centered on state-level offices. For this reason, the proposed Joint Resolution, which is not to be decided on by the Task Force, deliberately excludes congressional districts and instead would establish an independent commission to draw fair maps for the New Mexico Senate, House, and other state offices requiring redistricting,” explained Dick Mason, Project Manager, Fair Districts for New Mexico.

“The Task Force is focused on principles of fair redistricting, which can help guide, but do not control, the process,” said Burling.

Separately, a proposed Joint Resolution would create an independent redistricting commission to draw fair maps for state offices; it addresses how the commission is formed, not the principles themselves. The Task Force is not writing the Joint Resolution and is not involved in deciding how an Independent Redistricting Commission would be created, selected, or structured, she said.

Fair Districts for New Mexico