Judge considers accusations that New Mexico Democrats tried to dilute votes with redistricting map

By MORGAN LEE
Associated Press

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Accusations that New Mexico’s Democratic-led Legislature unfairly diluted the vote of politically conservative oil-producing region with its redistricting map will be on trial for the next three days. That’s despite a last-minute flurry of motions that included an effort by the governor’s attorneys to delay the proceedings. The bench trial is set to begin Wednesday morning in a state district courtroom in Lovington. The outcome is likely to have a big influence on which party represents a congressional swing district along the U.S. border with Mexico where partisan control has flipped back and forth three times in three elections.