Attorneys for both the Republican Party of New Mexico and Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver delivered oral arguments on Monday in the case of alleged gerrymandering on the state’s congressional maps.
After hearing arguments in the case brought against the state by the state Republican Party, New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice C. Shannon Bacon said that the Court would have a decision “as soon as we can.”
The decision was not expected to be issued Monday.
The arguments began with RPNM’s attorney Carter B. Harrison IV opening argument.
This came following the Oct. 6 ruling by New Mexico Ninth Judicial District Court Judge Fred T. van Soelen that the alleged gerrymandering of the 2nd Congressional District 2021 redistricting maps were justiciable but the map in question was not unlawful.
The Party appealed van Soelen’s decision to the state Supreme Court.
Harrison argued that the map was designed specifically to dilute Republican votes in the 2nd Congressional District, which was mainly the southern half of New Mexico prior to the 2021 redistricting map.
The 2021 map extended the 2nd Congressional District into parts of Albuquerque.
Attorney Sara Sanchez delivered arguments for Toulouse Oliver and her fellow defendants New Mexico Senate Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, and New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque.
Sanchez argued that van Soelen did not find that the map had entrenched voters in the 2nd Congressional District but voter dilution did not occur.
The only election that has been held with the new map in place was the 2022 election when U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat and former Las Cruces city councilor, won by less than one percent over Yvette Herrell, a Republican from Alamogordo who held the seat.
The 2018 and 2020 elections showed a flip-flop between the two parties with Xochitl Torres Small winning the seat with 51 percent of the vote to Herrell’s 49 percent of the vote in 2018.
A rematch between Herrell and Torres Small in 2020 ended with Herrell winning with 54 percent of the vote to Torres Small’s 46 percent.
The 2024 election appears likely to be a rematch between Herrell and Vasquez.
All candidates who want to be on the June 4 New Mexico primary ballot have to file their candidacy in February.
