Matt Ritter

In an op-ed published earlier this week, I said "as a divided nation, we’ve become far too numb to the constant escalation of partisan warfare. We’re watching some of our democratic norms get pulverized — including what used to be the straightforward, once-a-decade task of redrawing districts after the Constitutionally mandated census.

Given the turmoil in Austin, it might surprise readers how differently we handled the process here in Connecticut after the 2020 census.

First, our process is clearly spelled out in our state constitution. Second, the work is done by a Reapportionment  Committee split evenly between Republicans and Democrats.

Sure, some people criticize the maps every decade, and yes, a few district lines raise eyebrows. But in some states, a simple majority in one chamber can draw the lines however they please. Our process is slower, harder, and — most importantly — truly bipartisan.

This is important to point out because at the time, Democrats held big majorities in both chambers (97–54 in the House, 24–12 in the Senate), every seat in Congress, and every statewide office.

My hope is that Connecticut residents recognize that while our system isn’t perfect, it’s still a world away from the chaos playing out in Texas and elsewhere. 

A bipartisan redistricting process — that’s Connecticut doing democracy right."

Here you can read my entire op-ed on redistricting in Connecticut as published in The Hartford Courant.