On Dec. 17, 2021, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed new a congressional map into law, which will take effect for New Mexico’s 2022 congressional elections. 

The New Mexico State Senate approved the map 25-15 on Dec. 10, and the New Mexico House of Representatives approved the map 44-24 on Dec. 11. The votes were largely along party lines. In the Senate, no Republican lawmakers voted to approve and no Democratic lawmakers voted against the map. The same was true in the House, with the exception of Rep. Candie Sweetser (D) who voted against the map, making her the only Democrat in the legislature to do so.

Rep. Georgene Louis (D), Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D), and Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto sponsored the enacted map bill, which they introduced on Dec. 7 during a special session of the state legislature. The map was based on the Concept H proposal submitted to the legislature by the New Mexico Citizen Redistricting Committee. Concept H was selected for transmission to the legislature on Oct. 15 along with two other proposals, and was drawn by the Center for Civic Policy on behalf of the People’s Power, People’s Maps Coalition. 

The New Mexico Citizen Redistricting Committee was made up of three citizens appointed by the State Ethics Commission, two appointed by Republican state legislative leaders, and two appointed by Democratic state legislative leaders. The committee was established by SB304, which Grisham signed into law on April 6. The legislation bars public officials, candidates, political party officeholders, federal legislative or state employees, and the relatives of federal or state officeholders from serving on the commission. The commission’s proposals do not bind the state legislature, which retains the authority to adopt, amend, or discard the proposals as it sees fit.

New Mexico is the 20th state to complete congressional redistricting. During the 2010 redistricting cycle, New Mexico enacted congressional maps on Dec. 29, 2011, twelve days later than their congressional map enactment date this cycle. The state legislature has not yet voted to approve new legislative maps.