Colorado redistricting raises questions about lawmakers residency and voting - Axios DenverLog InLog InAxios Denver is an Axios company.

Political Pulse Redistricting leads lawmakers to scramble

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios Redistricting shifted political boundaries and moved state lawmakers out of their previous districts.Now, questions are arising about where those lawmakers live and whether they can legally hold their legislative seats. Why it matters: Colorado legally mandates that lawmakers live in their districts — at their "primary home" — for at least a year before running for office. State of play: At least five lawmakers seeking election or currently in office are facing questions about discrepancies on where they vote and live, according to reports. Democratic state Sen. Pete Lee is in a small home owned by his stepdaughter, but admitted to spending the night with his wife who lives outside the district.Republican state Sen. Dennis Hisey is at a Colorado Springs home owned by his son in District 11, but the lawmaker spends much of his time at a home he owns with his wife in Fountain, in his current District 12. He was drawn into a district occupied by a current lawmaker whose term goes to early 2025.Democratic state Rep. Kyle Mullica in Federal Heights to run for a state Senate seat before his family purchased a home in District 24.Democratic state Rep. Tracey Bernett moved to an apartment in Louisville five days before the deadline after her Longmont home was moved into a GOP-leaning district.Democratic state Rep. Donald Valdez listed his address at a home owned by his wife in Pueblo West, but he was registered to vote at his parents' house in Conejos County, which is his district.Republican state Sen. Bob Rankin is registered to vote at a home in Carbondale that he hasn't owned for five years. He and his wife, a state Board of Education member, bought a condo in Denver shortly after the sale. Threat level: In August, El Paso County prosecutors , a prominent committee chairman, with a felony for allegedly providing false information about where he lives. Lee is fighting the charge. A Denver court challenging in September. He has said he moved to his mother's to help her at home.A Boulder GOP official against Bernett, who has declined to comment on the residency question. Of note: Two others, Democratic state Rep. Donald Valdez and Republican state Rep. Matt Soper, faced residency questions in the past but avoided being removed from office. The bottom line: When redistricting shifts district lines, lawmakers are forced to decide whether to move, run against a colleague or retire. Political Pulse is a regular feature from Axios Denver to help you catch up quick on Colorado politics. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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