[In Westword] How Redistricting Impacted Denver’s District 9 City Council Race

Gerrymandering played a pivotal role in the defeat of Socialist Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca.

I wrote this piece for Westword about the impact redistricting played in Denver’s District 9 city council race, which had received an unusual amount of national attention for a run-of-the-mill local election. The incumbent, Candi CdeBaca is a self-described socialist who was a frequent target of national rightwing media, including the notorious Libs of TikTok account.

When the election concluded, CdeBaca had lost her seat, prompting a cascade of leftist bashing. Axios claimed, “Denver voters had rejected a leftward shift of the city council.” “Colorado councilwoman who advocated for reparations blown out in reelection contest,” wrote the Washington Examiner.

While that’s one possible interpretation, I dove into the demographic data caused by the gerrymandering — I mean, *redistricting* — process to see how District 9 was transformed. Ultimately, the data shows CdeBaca’s working-class base was cut from her district, while a plethora of wealthier, home-owning Denverites were added. I’ll let you read the piece for all the details, but it was a pretty tremendous change, to say the least.

»Click here to read the full article«

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In Solidarity, Joe