Below is a re-print with permission of a March 21, 2024, article written by Clark County GOP State Committeeman John Ley For Clark County Today
Nikki Torres, a Latino Washington State Senator in the 15th District has been drawn out of her district by a federal judge. The new map alters boundaries on 13 of the state’s 49 legislative districts including the 17th District in east Clark County. This came about because of alleged racism against Latino voters centered around Yakima.
Judge Robert Lasnik, of the US District Court for the Western District of Washington, ordered the adoption of a redistricting map that impacts 12 Republicans and one Democrat. The adopted map redistricts out several current Republican lawmakers ahead of the 2024 general election.
In Clark County, the 20th District boundary is extended farther south, carving out some of the current 17th District. To make up for that reduction in voters, the 17th is extended into a significant part of Klickitat County going all the way to Goldendale. It also changes the voting characteristics from a Republican-leaning district to a Democrat-leaning district.
Senator Torres calls the judge’s actions a “mockery of the Voting Rights Act.” She added: “This map DISENFRANCHISES Hispanics – all to help the Democratic party gain seats towards a supermajority in the legislature.”
“The Voting Rights Act was supposed to empower affected minority populations,” she wrote. “This map DECREASES the number of Hispanics in the Majority Minority district and redistricts out the first Hispanic Senator in Eastern Washington history.”
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