WASHINGTON D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court is not expected to block Washington’s new legislative district maps, paving the way for new boundaries that cut the city of Wenatchee into separate districts.
Justice Elena Kagan on Tuesday denied an application to stay the recently imposed legislative district maps. The application for stay would’ve put implementation of the new map on pause while the nation’s highest court reviewed the case. Upcoming elections would have proceeded under the now-former boundaries.
The Wenatchee Valley, previously represented by districts 12 and 7, would be divided into three districts, including one that takes downtown Wenatchee out of District 12. Its new senator lives 130 miles to the northeast in Addy.
“It’s a very difficult outcome to accept for Wenatchee and East Wenatchee, two communities with a long and proud history of working together and advocating together,” said Sen. Brad Hawkins in a statement to The Wenatchee World.
Sen. Brad Hawkins
R-12th District
Provided photo
But a related case, Benacio Garcia III v. Washington Secretary of State Steven Hobbs, is still active in the federal court system.
“The Supreme Court is always unlikely to act on a case before it is fully litigated,” said state Senate Republican Leader John Braun in a statement. “That played a large role in this case whose constitutional claims are still being litigated before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.”
The state’s new legislative boundaries were approved last month by U.S. District Court Judge Robert Lasnik. He ruled that the Yakima Valley needed new legislative districts to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act and give Latinos a better chance to elect candidates, according to the Yakima Herald-Republic.
An appeal by District 13 Rep. Alex Ybarra and Latino voters Jose Trevino and Ismael G. Campos to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals was denied, prompting the failed request for an injunction by the U.S. Supreme Court.
District 12 would include most of Wenatchee, and stretch across the Cascade Range to Monroe and North Bend. It would be represented by Hawkins, Rep. Mike Steele (R-Chelan) and Rep. Keith Goehner (R-Dryden). Hawkins, an East Wenatchee resident, announced March 15 after Lasnik approved the new maps that he intends to move to Wenatchee in April.
District 13, right, will cross the Columbia River into downtown Wenatchee and Olds Station.
Davesredistricting.org/Kassra Oskooii
District 7 would include downtown Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Olds Station and most of Douglas County and would be represented by Sen. Shelly Short (R-Addy), Rep. Joel Kretz (R-Wauconda) and Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber (R-Republic).
District 13 include Rock Island and parts of East Wenatchee, including most of Pangborn Memorial Airport, and be represented by Sen. Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake), Rep. Tom Dent (R-Moses Lake) and Rep. Alex Ybarra (R-Quincy).
The state next consider redistricting in 2031.
“I wished the federal judge who ruled on this case would have only made minimal changes to the Yakima-area district, rather than a multitude of cascading changes to other districts,” Hawkins said. “Now the Wenatchee Valley is split apart for the next 10 years and our combined influence likely be diminished statewide.
Hawkins said he was “very disappointed with how this whole case has transpired and even more so” that the Supreme Court declined to take the case.
He added, “Whenever I heard about messy redistricting situations over the years in other states, I was always thankful that our state avoided politically motivated redistricting efforts, but that has all changed now.”
Pangborn Memorial Airport in East Wenatchee is partially split into District 7, top, and District 13, bottom.
Davesredistricting.org/Kassra Oskooii
The effort for new maps was led by the UCLA Voting Rights Project, which sued Chelan, Yakima and Benton counties following a 2021 report by InvestigateWest that found that Latino voters are four times more likely to have their ballots rejected because of a signature challenge.
Hawkins said it was “bizarre” that an “activist group from Los Angeles could challenge the maps approved two years ago by our bipartisan Redistricting Commission and state legislature and be successful.”
He was also critical of state Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
“It didn’t help that (Ferguson) refused to defend the state and even encouraged the Supreme Court to deny the stay request,” Hawkins said.
At an East Wenatchee City Council meeting Tuesday, Mayor Jerrilea Crawford called the changes an “opportunity” but still said she was disappointed.
“I’m disappointed because our economic base is heavily tied to the city of Wenatchee,” she said. “Our businesses and residents they work across the river. Our services are supported by each other on either side of the river. Although the benefit, I guess, is we get new representation and more of it hopefully, and an opportunity to build that up.”
World staff writer Oscar Rodriguez contributed to this report.This story was updated with additional information Wednesday morning.
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