Special master urges last-ditch talks as Republican and Democratic commissioners offer competing congressional maps

Special Master Nate Persley opened a court-ordered hearing on congressional redistricting and told commission members he would propose a plan and issue a report by Jan. 18 unless the commission could reach agreement. Persley summarized the Connecticut Supreme Court's Dec. 23 order directing him to limit changes to those reasonably necessary to meet legal requirements, including equal population, contiguity, Voting Rights Act compliance and respect for town lines, and to avoid considering incumbency or party returns.

Republican members, represented in testimony by state Senator Kevin Kelly, presented a least-change map they said preserves an average 96.5% retention of existing lines and keeps each of the five districts within one person of the 2020 target population of 721,189. "The map makes the least change to existing congressional districts to meet the minimal requirements necessary," Kelly said, adding the proposal reduces town splits from five to four and follows enacted state legislative plans where possible.

Democratic members, represented by state Representative Matt Ritter and attorney Aaron Baer, argued their plan also complies with the court's order while moving fewer residents to new districts. Ritter said the Democratic plan "moves 71,736 people to new districts," while he said the Republican plan would move about 125,000 people in an effort to unify Torrington. Baer reiterated that the Democrats' supplemental brief and competing example demonstrate ways to unify a town while moving fewer people and still meeting the court's instructions.

Persley asked the two sides to try one more time to bargain and said he would welcome a commission-drawn plan. "If you are able to come up with a map, then I would adopt it and urge the court to adopt it," Persley said, and he set a deadline of Jan. 12 at noon eastern for the commission to file a full plan, a partial plan, or a status update.

Other witnesses focused on geography and communities of interest. Ben Proto, who said he submitted two plans as chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party, argued for more substantial realignment in some areas to create more compact districts and said pairing New Britain with Hartford could produce a district in which a Hispanic candidate could win. Representative Hilda Santiago warned that moving Meriden and New Britain out of the 5th District would reduce Hispanic and Latino influence there, estimating a drop in the Hispanic share from about 21% to 20% in her district under one Republican proposal.

Several speakers emphasized Torrington and the Northwest Corner. Representative Jay Case and others urged consideration of registrars' administrative burdens: overlapping state and congressional lines can create more ballot styles and polling districts and increase the risk of ballot-mixups.

Persley closed by thanking court and commission staff, saying he would use the testimony in drafting his plan, and adjourning the hearing without any vote. The commission members indicated a willingness to try to meet in the next 48 hours; Persley's Jan. 12 noon deadline remains the next procedural step.