Republicans File Challenge to Oregon’s Redistricting of Congressional Map

Democrats drew a map that could hand them the new, sixth congressional seat. Republicans say that does not provide fair representation.

bumper sticker A bumper sticker at a conservative rally in Salem. (Justin Yau)
By Rachel Monahan

Republicans have filed a legal challenge to the new congressional redistricting map that followed Oregon gaining a seat in the 2020 census.

The petition to the Marion County Circuit Court—filed by former Secretary of State Bev Clarno, former Republican House leader Gary Wilhelms (R-Klamath Falls), and onetime House Speaker Larry Campbell (R-Eugene), among others—argues that Democrats, who hold supermajorities in the state Legislature, drew a map that does not give state Republicans sufficient representation.

“The result of this highly partisan process is a clear, egregious partisan gerrymander, as has been widely acknowledged both in Oregon and across the country,” the petition states. “Under the Democrats’ gerrymandered map, enacted as SB 881-A, the Democrats are projected to win five of the six congressional seats in Oregon in a typical year.”

The petition, among other evidence, cites the last-minute maneuver by House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland), in which she reversed her previous agreement for a balanced redistricting committee containing an equal number of Republicans and Democrats. In the week before the map was approved, Kotek created a new committee with one more Democrat than Republican that resulted in a map approved on party lines; that’s further evidence the map should not stand, the petition argues.

“If SB 881-A stands, Oregon’s Constitutional and statutory prohibitions against partisan gerrymandering are effectively meaningless,” states the petition filed in Marion County by attorneys Shawn M. Lindsay from the firm Harris Berne Christensen and Misha Tseytlin from the firm Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders.

“Further, SB 881-A also violates Oregon law by unnecessarily splitting counties and communities of common interest, while ignoring political and geographic boundaries in such an egregious way that no reasonable Legislative Assembly would do.”

Democrats have said the maps they passed are fair and legal. But a court challenge from Republicans was widely expected. It’s not clear yet whether there will be a separate legal challenge of the new maps for state legislative districts.

Correction: The petition was filed with the Marion County Circuit Court, not the Oregon Supreme Court, as a previous version of the story stated. WW regrets the error.

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