Gov. Sununu promises veto for NH Republicans’ redrawn congressional map
Map passes state Senate without changes requested by governor
Map passes state Senate without changes requested by governor
Map passes state Senate without changes requested by governor
Gov. Chris Sununu said Thursday he will veto the congressional redistricting map approved by his fellow Republicans in the New Hampshire Legislature.
The map has been hotly debated for months. In the once-a-decade redistricting process, New Hampshire House Republicans completely redrew the state's congressional lines to make the 1st District more Republican and the 2nd District more Democratic, attempting to give each party a safe seat on Capitol Hill.
On the Senate floor Thursday, Republicans pushed back against accusations of gerrymandering, a term that refers to drawing oddly shaped districts to cater to one party or the other.
State Sen, Regina Birdsell, R-Hampstead, held up examples of other districts around the country that have been gerrymandered.
"That's gerrymandering," she said. "What we've put together is not gerrymandering."
Senate Democrats denounced the GOP map as uncompetitive and unfair.
"Why is it that 85% of the people in Congress can win their district again?" said state Sen. Lou D'Allesandro. "Because it's totally gerrymandered in that respect. Don't let that happen here. Don't let that happen to New Hampshire."
Almost as soon as Senate Republicans passed the map on a party-line vote, Sununu announced he would veto it once it reaches his desk.
"It doesn't really pass the smell test, right?" he said.
Sununu's decision stunned lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Republican representatives must now either come up with a new map or attempt a veto override.
"But I don't think there'll be the votes there to do that," said Democratic Senate Minority Leader Donna Soucy. "Potentially, the districts could remain as they are."
Highlighting the way the veto upends the partisan dynamic in New Hampshire was a statement from Democratic 1st District U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, who said, "I couldn't agree more with Gov. Sununu."
Sununu said the Republican map was not consistent with the state's "Live Free or Die" spirit.
"The way redistricting has been designed, the Democrats get their district and Republicans get their district, but that's not who we are as a state," Sununu said. "I want something that more matches the character of the state. We're a purple state."