Redistricting
Redistricting will always be a highly charged issue. As many of you know, I addressed the Independent Redistricting Commission on the 5th of August in Nogales. They were seeking public comment on the subject of Communities of Interest, as laid out in Proposition 106, the seminal document guiding the redistricting process. I offered them an option for adjusting District boundaries that include Sonoita, Elgin, and Canelo down to the international border.
Since that time, I have been following the public comments from the various IRC public meetings. Among those comments there are several from Sonoita/ Elgin and Patagonia as well as “the I10 Corridor” folks. Many of those oppose changing District boundaries. The majority of comments argue against “moving” Sonoita/Elgin and Patagonia “into Cochise County.” That could not be farther from the truth.
Let me set the record straight. The change I argued for, with the support of many of our neighbors, will NOT change the County boundary in any way. We will remain part of Santa Cruz County. What would change are the boundaries of our Congressional and Legislative districts. Further, Patagonia is NOT included in that proposal. The new district boundaries would fall just east of the town of Patagonia.
Why would we want to do that? Sonoita/Elgin has a comparatively miniscule number of voters. The balance slightly favors Republicans. Patagonia and the rest of the west side of the County on the other hand is majority Democrat.
In a quiet moment, ask yourselves how beneficial it has been over the last ten years to have four Democrat politicians (national and state) doing your bidding for you. Have ANY of them been here to host a Town Hall meeting – ever? They have been to Patagonia and Nogales. That should tell you all you need to know.
Matt Parrilli
Sonoita