Redistricting will give me one of the most odious characters out there

[meadowlark5]

Ken Buck

I've lived in this same area since 1996 and have been in district 6 that entire time. Most recent congressman has been Mike Coffman forever. I opened my ballot and there was no voting for Mike Coffman or Andrew Romanof - I had the choice of Ken Buck and some unknown dem I've never heard of. Now, I'm not into politics as much as many of you here, but I had no idea that we had been redistricted into district 4 which throws us in with rural, eastern colorado from the north state border down to the south state border.

So there is no doubt at all, Ken Buck will be elected to be my representative

[frazzled]

1. You must not have voted in the last midterms (2012)

Because that redistricting would have happened after the 2010 census (put into effect in 2011), not just recently. Slap me if I'm wrong, but Congressional districts are redrawn every ten years, after the most recent census.

[meadowlark5]

2. That's what I thought too

But I'm certain Mike Coffman was still my rep in 2012 and running. I vote in every election. District 4 has been Cory Gardner - I have never seen Cory Gardner's name on my ballot until this year as he is running for the Senate against Udall.

I was really confused and thought I had gotten an erroneous ballot but knew that couldn't be. I've been searching online this morning trying to figure out how I missed this

[frazzled]

3. Does this article help?

POSTED: 11/10/2011 07:06:21 PM MST UPDATED: 3 YEARS AGO

Under the new congressional map, Larimer County — where active voter registration is 37 percent Republican, 28 percent Democrat and 33 percent unaffiliated — goes from the 4th Congressional District, now represented by Republican Cory Gardner, to the 2nd, represented by Democrat Jared Polis. Douglas County — where the voter tally is 51 percent GOP, 20 percent Democrat and 28 percent unaffiliated — would go from Republican Mike Coffman's 6th to the 4th.



http://www.denverpost.com/ci_19310668

[meadowlark5]

4. Thank you. I did see the maps but swore I voted for Mikloski in 2012

He would have been the dem against Coffman at that time.

Maybe it was just so new in 2012 with the new districts I just don't remember. I know I didn't vote for Gardner just like I'm not voting for him this time. I hope he loses and goes away completely. But there are plenty nuts like Ken Buck waiting in the wings to get elected.

[frazzled]

5. I'm sorry you got redistricted

It happened to me once, when I lived in Massachusetts, though it was for state representative, not federal offices. Still, we got districted out of our progressive Democratic rep's district into a conservative Democratic rep's district, and were very sad. In the end, we helped turn our conservadem into a more progressive one by using our power: a group of us met with him and made it clear that to get the endorsement of our group he'd have to listen to our issues and concerns. It actually worked: constituents have power if they use it.

This is probably not the case if you get redistricted into a purely red district. But still, make your voice heard (it helps to have it heard as a group), and have it heard face-to-face, in person. Good luck!

[meadowlark5]

6. Oh my word, you have no idea how red this district is

Totally carved out the most christain conservative parts of the Denver metro area and lumped them with the shit kickin', don't tread on me flag wavin', good ole country folk patriots. No way, no how will a dem eve win district 4. Impossible. The only thing would be if the bigger towns of Castle Rock, Parker and Centennial became diluted with more progressives moving in. Because east of these towns is country and country folk don't like liberals. Some do, but they're truly in the minority.