WA Redistricting Map Drafts Reveal Disputes over Voting Rights for Communities of Color

Leaders of color issued the following statements:

David Morales
Yakima attorney and community advocate

“The Latino community in Yakima will get a district that performs one way or another. However, rather than submitting this plan for future lawsuits, it would be beneficial to everyone and save a lot of time and money if the ultimate plan adhered to both the Washington Voting Rights Act and the Federal Voting Rights Act.”

Margot Spindola
Organizer, Latino Community Fund

“What I saw in the 1st CD, 9th CD, and the Snohomish County LD’s, was a redistricting commission that seems to think of themselves as ‘incumbent-protection commission’. They prioritize keeping well-connected incumbents in current districts over fair representation communities of color.”

Andrew Hong
Statewide Lead, Redistricting Justice for Washington

“Grouping South Seattle with white North Seattle or the wealthy Eastside suburbs diminishes the power of the most Black and Asian community in Washington. We need a 9th Congressional District that empowers South Seattle and South King working class communities of color—and that means drawing a 9th district cognizant of both race and class.”

The Redistricting Commission is accepting public comments on their maps on their website and is holding public outreach meetings for state legislative districts on October 5 and congressional districts on October 9. Final map proposals will be released on November 15.