The Colorado Supreme Court has approved new maps of legislative districts that will affect statehouse races for the next decade.
The new boundaries appear to give Democrats an edge in next year鈥檚 elections to determine which party controls the legislative agenda at the Capitol.
Of the 65 districts in the House, there are 16 that non-partisan staffers at the Capitol rated as politically competitive.
In the Senate, 11 of the 35 seats are considered competitive. A large southwest Colorado district and another including Loveland and Estes Park are projected to be among the biggest battlegrounds.
The Supreme Court鈥檚 approval of the maps concludes a redistricting process that happens once a decade. There were legal challenges to the process, but the court rejected them. This year was the first time an independent commission drew the boundaries instead of state lawmakers.
The process was changed after voters passed two ballot initiatives in 2018.
鈥淐oloradans voted for Amendment Y and Z and the commissioners and staff delivered,鈥� said Jessika Shipley, staff director of the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission, in a written statement. 鈥淭hese maps reflect how the state is growing and evolving, and the variety of voices we heard from communities over the last year.鈥�
