(UPDATED) The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission Picked the Mapping Firm whose Maps have Repeatedly been Tossed out of the Courts

For the Republican appointees and the Chairperson on the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, a mapping consultant who has been accused of drawing district maps that discriminate against minority representation and had those maps thrown out by the courts is not a job disqualifier.

In fact, it may be just what they are looking for.

On May 4, 2021, in a three to two vote, the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission hired the Timmons Group and National Demographics Corporation (the group that oversaw the Arizona 2001 redistricting) to draw up the congressional and legislative district maps that, if approved as is without the intervention of the courts, will be in place until 2022.

That National Demographics Corporation, according to reporting by AZ Mirror, has a history of drawing up maps in Arizona, California, and North Carolina that have been thrown out by the courts because they adversely affected minority representation in those areas seems not to be alarmed the two Republicans and Independent Chair of the Commission.

The two Democrats on the Commission voted against giving Timmons and National Demographics the mapping contract, recommending that it instead go to HaystaqDNA, the agency that oversaw the 2011 Arizona redistricting and the firm whose maps have not been thrown out by the courts for discrimination.

According to reporting from KTAR, this appears to be a case of Republicans, with the aid of the “independent” chairperson Erika Neuberg, getting the firm that drew more favorable maps for the Republican Party during the 2001 redistricting process rather than the firm they claim composed boundaries more helpful to Democrats in 2011.

Arizona Democratic Party Chairperson Raquel Teran strongly reacted against the appointment of Timmons-National Demographics, writing:

“The decision by the IRC Chair and Republican Commissioners to hire NDC, despite their appalling record, is a complete affront to the concerns of voting rights advocates and a total disregard for the public trust in the integrity of the eventual maps.

“This vote has exposed which voters have the ear and attention of those Commissioners and which do not. On top of the choice to hire a partisan Republican Executive Director with insufficient experience and an unexplained $63,000 payday from the 2020 McSally campaign, this decision has set a precedent and tone for the work ahead that is deeply troubling.

“Governor Ducey and the Republican Party have worked for years to undermine an independent process which Arizona voters overwhelmingly voted into law 20 years ago. Rather than uphold the independence of this Commission, they have done all they can to serve the interests of the Arizona Republican Party above all. Beginning with the stacking of the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments with Republican operatives, and this indefensible selection, they have aimed to compromise yet another of Arizona’s sacred democratic institutions.

“The eyes of the state and the nation will be on this Commission. This decision shows that Republicans may have corrupted this process before it started. We hope that’s not the case.”

Pima County Democratic Chair Bonnie Heidler also voiced her disappointment, relaying:

“I was disappointed to hear that Timmons Group will be awarded the contract for drawing the maps. Since most of the lawsuits from their map-drawing revolved around Latino voters not being able to elect candidates of their choice, here in Arizona that would be a huge problem.

However, what concerns me more is that this is the second time that the “independent” Chair sided with the Republicans on key hirings. The first was the Executive Director and now the mapping firm. A pattern does seem to be emerging.”

Former Arizona Democratic Party spokesperson and current Vice President and Director of Public Affairs of Matters of State Strategies Matt Grodsky commented:

“We can only hope that the maps are drawn fairly but the reality is that new competitive districts in AZ will likely be a welcomed surprise rather than a foregone conclusion. Like every Arizona election over the last decade, Democrats will need to build broad coalitions of voters through sound messaging, they’ll need to increase voter registration, and they will have to drive turnout across the state to make up for any obstacles the new maps potentially create.”

One thing is probable after the May 4, 2021 vote by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission.

There will undoubtedly be several dates with state and federal courts before the final Arizona Congressional and Legislative District Maps are finalized.