Courts handle New Mexico congressional maps
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's three congressional districts have changed very little in the past two decades but when they have, state courts — not the Legislature or governor — have redrawn the boundaries.
State district court judges in 2002 and 2011 adopted "least change" redistricting plans that only slightly altered district boundaries to equalize population to conform with the legal requirements of one-person, one-vote.
Redistricting didn't alter the political tilt of the districts. One factor is that redistricting took place with divided government in New Mexico — a Democratic-controlled Legislature and Republican governors.
The 3rd District of northern New Mexico is heavily Democratic. The 2nd District of southern New Mexico has been reliably Republican in its voting performance. The Albuquerque-area 1st District has been the most politically competitive seat recently.