fbpx
Like I Was Saying

Split Decisions

Our three GOP Flathead County commissioners sent a letter to the redistricting commission and argued that the county should be kept whole in the Western District

By Kellyn Brown

Montana’s redistricting commission advanced two potential maps last week that attempted to “fairly” cut the state in half after we regained a second congressional district for the first time in 30 years. Democrats and Republicans, of course, have different interpretations of what fair is and initially their maps included two key differences: Which of our fastest-growing counties should be split, Gallatin or Flathead?

The commission is made up of two Republicans and two Democrats and a chair, Maylinn Smith, who has to break any potential ties and was appointed by the state’s Supreme Court. Smith previously said she hopes the partisan commissioners can reach a consensus after reviewing public comment. But that seems unlikely. 

What was supposed to be the deadline for deciding and finalizing new districts, Oct. 30, has instead been pushed to Nov. 14, although the body hopes to settle on a single framework before then.  

Both of the original proposed maps divided the east and west along a line that mostly runs the length of the continental divide and mostly reflects the old Eastern and Western districts Montana previously adopted before slow population growth resulted in us losing one in 1990. Mostly.

You see, the western part of the state has grown much faster than the central and eastern portions. And therein lies the rub. The Republican proposal would have kept Flathead County in the Western District, while moving Lewis and Clark County and part of Gallatin County to the Eastern District. Except the most populous segment of Gallatin, Bozeman proper, would be cut out and remain in the Western District.  

The Democratic proposal also breaks up a county … ours. Under its scenario, Lewis and Clark County would remain in the Western District and so would all of Gallatin. Most of the Flathead, however, would be moved to the Eastern District except the northwest portion that includes Whitefish. 

According to the data website FiveThirtyEight, the Republican proposal would result in an R+28 Eastern District and R+11 Western. While the districts in the Democratic proposal would be R+34 to the east and R+7 to the west. 

Our three GOP Flathead County commissioners sent a letter to the redistricting commission and argued that the county should be kept whole in the Western District. They wrote that the county’s 12 state house districts and six senate districts “should remain in one congressional district to avoid distorting representation.”  

The thing is, Gallatin County had its own concerns. Subsequently, the Republicans on the commission changed its proposal to include all of Gallatin in the Western District, but it pulls Lewis and Clark County (home to the state capital of Helena) into the Eastern District. Democrats strongly oppose the move.

Commission Chair Smith will try to reconcile the differences this week in a process that, to many Republicans, is “nonpartisan” in name only. GOP Sen. Steve Daines and our at-large Rep. Matt Rosendale, who, without a major scandal, should skate to victory in the Eastern District for the rest of his life, have criticized the process.     

For her part, Smith has said she thinks it’s important the commission take competitiveness into account when drawing maps. For their part, Republicans have pointed out that Smith previous made donations to Democrats.

In other words, there will be plenty to argue about after the final map is made.