Topline Takeaways

• Arizona’s redistricting process is controlled by an independent redistricting commission, required by constitutional amendment.

• The five-member panel prioritized retaining competitive congressional districts.

• The resulting map shifted a majority of the state’s districts toward the center with three sitting firmly within in swing territory (<10 point margin).

Who’s In Control?

In Arizona, redistricting is controlled by an independent redistricting commission. The commission was originally established in 2000 with the passage of a constitutional amendment. This amendment to the Arizona Constitution requires the state to convene a five-member panel after each decennial census: two members are selected by each major party and the final fifth member is required to be a citizen who is unaffiliated with either major party. The independent commission then drafts new maps and has the final say in redistricting. (The only power politicians have over the commission is the ability to remove a commissioner which requires both a two-thirds super-majority vote in the state senate alongside gubernatorial approval.)

New District Breakdown*

*Arizona completely shuffled the numbering of districts when compared to its previous congressional map. Candidates are listed in the seat they will run for in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections and may not match their current seat numbering.

Arizona’s redistricting commission prioritized retaining competitiveness in its new congressional districts as the majority of districts became less partisan and moved toward the center. Three of the new districts sit firmly within swing territory. The new districts also produce two partisan flips, one in each direction. The state’s old sixth congressional district (now numbered AZ-01) was shifted five points to the left, leading it to become a narrow Biden district. Meanwhile the old first district (now AZ-02) shifted several points to the right, flipping it into an 8-point Trump district.

A big point of controversy revolved around the decision to split Tucson across two districts as many configurations of this split were likely to favor Republicans. The commission instead were able to create a swing district in the new AZ-06 by creating a majority-Hispanic AZ-07 that’s likely to be represented by longtime Rep. Raul Grijalva. As a result, AZ-06 will be in the national spotlight as Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick is stepping down, creating an open seat in a new district that could tilt either way.

Leftover Links

• See what Democrats learned in 2020 after mobilizing Latino voters helped deliver Arizona for Biden.

• Arizona’s Republican party has been embroiled with Trump’s Big Lie for the past two years. Kelli Ward, the state party’s leader, was just subpoenaed by the DOJ for a federal investigation into a scheme to provide fake electors.