Redistricting off the table in Colorado? Independent commission holds the line

By Gabrielle Franklin | KDVR Fox 31

DENVER (KDVR) — The battle over the balance of power in Congress is already underway with the 2026 midterm election still more than a year away.

Reactions to Texas Democrats fleeing their state to avoid a vote to redraw the state’s congressional maps continue to grow as states with Democratic majorities threaten counteraction. Could Colorado act too?

FOX31’s political analysts both said it is unlikely the state would take any action on redistricting soon, but there are still some observations to be learned from the Lone Star State.

“No, I don’t see Colorado joining that arms race,” said FOX31 Political Analyst and Republican strategist Michael Fields.

“We redistrict every 10 years. We’re not at a time where we redistrict right now,” said FOX31 Political Analyst Andy Boian.

Both agree, the state probably will not undergo any redistricting for some time. Most state leaders agree, too, except for former Colorado Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo, who said in a statement:

“Donald Trump and his MAGA supporters are trying to stack the deck so they keep the House, even if Americans vote overwhelmingly to kick them out in 2026. They want to keep passing dangerous and unpopular legislation like their disastrous Medicaid cuts and tax breaks for the wealthy with no accountability. For the sake of the country, Democrats need to fight back. 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.”

There’s an amendment in the state’s constitution that stops Colorado lawmakers from redrawing the maps.

“In 2018, we passed Amendment Y, which passed with 71% of the vote. Basically, it set up an independent redistricting commission. So you know, we have four Republicans, four Democrats, four unaffiliated voters that all picked the maps. They do that after the normal Census, every 10 years. That’s in the constitution. There’s no real way for the legislature to come in and change that process,” Fields said.

That commission redrew the maps in 2021, and Yadira Caraveo ultimately won that seat in the 2022 election. Fast forward to 2025, Caraveo is running for the district again after losing to Republican Gabe Evans.

While a redistricting effort is unlikely, other states with Democratic majorities like New York and California, which also have redistricting commissions, are threatening counteraction after Texas Democrats left the state to avoid voting on redistricting. Republicans in Colorado have also left the floor to avoid votes before. Could there be more acts like these in the future?

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