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LOCAL
Colorado Congressional Districts
Old District 7 boundary
New District 7
New District 8
Graphic by Kayla Cornett Source: Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission
Residents voice concerns about new proposed Congressional Districts
BY RYAN DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As a state commission moves closer to redrawing Colorado’s congressional districts, residents of Adams and Jefferson counties made their voices heard on how they want to be represented in Washington at a July 13 public meeting at Red Rocks Community College’s Arvada campus.
An ongoing tour across the Centennial State to gauge community feedback to its preliminary map brought the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission to Arvada, where many voiced their concerns about the proposed redistricting.
After gaining more than 750,000 new residents in the last decade, Colorado was awarded an Eighth Congressional District in April — the state’s fi rst new district in 20 years. The proposed boundaries for the 8th Congressional District would include parts of Arvada, Broomfi eld, Brighton, Fort Lupton, Thornton, Westminster, Firestone and Platteville, among other communities.
Over 40 attendees of the meeting gave oral testimony over the course of the evening. Residents from the proposed district and the surrounding areas expressed concern over how the congressional district would split county lines, which some commenters said would hinder their community’s ability to vote together on issues of shared interest.
Arvada Mayor Marc Williams spoke fi rst, voicing his desire to keep Jefferson County cities in the same congressional district.
“Arvada’s community of interest lies primarily with Golden, Wheat Ridge, Lakewood, Edgewater and Westminster,” said Williams, “in other words, the Jefferson County cities. These are all Jeffco cities who will be getting a letter from the Jeffco mayors indicating a very unifi ed voice that we think that we should all be in one congressional district.
“And that’s because we work well together,” Williams continued. “We’ve worked together on the homelessness issue; we’ve done a great Navigator program that we’ve put together in Jefferson County to address that issue. We’re working on attainable housing. We also have common transportation issues… that commonality of interest is not something I want to lose.”
Under the preliminary map proposal, Arvada would break from current CD7 and Jefferson County counterparts Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, Golden and Edgewater, among others.
Ken Fellman, who served as mayor
SEE DISTRICTS, P19
Old-Fashioned Summer Picnic

SATURDAY, AUG. 14 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Adams County Museum 9601 Henderson Road Brighton, CO 80601


Featuring the Vintage Motorcycle Club (dozens of bikes from the early 1900s to 1990s), a stilt walker, free ice cream (while supplies last), black smith demonstrations and games! Entry into the museum buildings for free!








