Colorado Supreme Court deals blow to Democrats’ redistricting push

ElectionsColorado Supreme Court deals blow to Democrats’ redistricting pushThe ruling is the latest blow to efforts to Democrats seeking to put more congressional seats in play for the party by redrawing congressional maps.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00The Colorado Supreme Court.David Williams / Bloomberg via Getty Images ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 29, 2026, 3:20 PM EDTBy Adam EdelmanThe Colorado Supreme Court on Monday rejected three proposed ballot measures supported by Democrats that were designed to pave the way for a new congressional map ahead of the 2028 election.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.The rulings are the latest blow to Democratic efforts to counter Republican-led redistricting pushes across the country. All three initiatives were organized by a group called Coloradans for a Level Playing Field. One would have put the state’s independent redistricting commission, which voters approved in 2018, on hold and asked voters to approve a new congressional map for only the 2028 and 2030 election cycles. Another two proposed initiatives broke that goal into two separate parts: Pausing the commission and implementing new district lines.If the measures had appeared on the ballot this November and voters had approved them, a new congressional map would have gone into effect starting in 2028 that would put Democrats in position to win seven of eight of the state’s congressional seats. Democrats currently hold four. In three separate opinions, the state Supreme Court wrote that the three proposed ballot measures violated the state’s “single subject requirement.” “Changing the constitutionally mandated frequency of redistricting — however temporary the change — is not merely a mechanism to administer the new congressional district map,” Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Monica Marquez wrote in one unanimous decision. “Instead, it represents a seismic shift to Col...