Speaking to reporters Friday morning after the monthly meeting of the State Bond Commission, Gov. Dannel Malloy ridiculed Republican attempts to move Bridgeport from the Fourth Congressional District to the Third, which is centered in New Haven. He said the state Reapportionment Commission, which has a noon deadline, December 21 deadline before the congressional mapping process gets thrown to the state Supreme Court, should get down to brass tacks. Republicans should abandon the major redrawing of the congressional maps.
“I would be shocked if judges who might be called upon to redraw these lines would remove Bridgeport from the Fourth Congressional District,” Malloy said. “We’re talking about one district (the Second) having 15,000 too many people…Why anyone would entertain a massive redesign of all the districts…actually, it’s pretty transparent why they would do it,” Malloy said. A couple questions later, another reporter wanted Malloy to sharpen his opinion of the GOP’s tactics. Malloy dramatically slowed down his voice. “I think they’re trying to change the district to make it easier for Republicans to get elected,” he said, before going back to normal speed. “That’s what I think they’re trying to do. And I think they’ve been pretty transparent in that. And I would be shocked if any judge, to deal with a 15,000-voter surplus in a district would then use that as an excuse to redraw five districts. I would be shocked. So what I would suggest to the committee is that they get their work done. There’s a way to do that. A ninth member was appointed. That person should be allowed to vote and they should get the job done. That’s what we’re here for.”
And Malloy’s demand that the 5 democrats simply overrule the 4 republicans isn’t transparent? Typical politician hypocracy.
The redistricting process is not about making adjustments necessary to preserve districts for incumbents. Its fundamental purpose is to draw lines that reflect traditional districting principles, as outlined by the state and federal constitutions and case law. Meaning that this is the only time in the decade to correct inequities, violations, and political imbalances and draw districts that hew to these strictures. The goal of the Governor and the Democrats on the commission is to protect their four incumbents and to draw a 5th district that Chris Donovan can actually win. The process is set up to be bipartisan and the Democrats start with two districts (1 & 3) in their pockets. The voters of CT have cast approximately 50% of their ballots for a Republican congressman during the last decade, yet Democrats have won 60% of the elections. No one is trying to create a “Republican district.” This is about giving voters an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice in a district that is legally justifiable. Hopefully the Supreme Court will show His Majesty that they are a truly coordinate branch of government and able to do their job without his glorious interference.