By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper.
A state judge ordered Sandoval County to redraw its commission district boundaries, ruling the county’s 2021 map failed to consult tribal nations and didn’t give Native American and Hispanic voters an equal say. Now the county says the judge got it wrong — and the maps aren’t changing anytime soon.
The ruling
A judge sided with the Democratic Party of Sandoval County, the Pueblo of San Felipe, the Pueblo of Jemez and several individual plaintiffs, finding the Board of County Commissioners never adequately consulted tribal sovereign nations before adopting the map and that district populations weren’t equal enough to satisfy the New Mexico Constitution. The county filed notice of appeal July 9.
DPSC Chair Greg Bennett called the ruling validation of the party’s yearslong fight, saying it proves county government “truly represents all of Sandoval County’s diverse communities.”
County pushes back
County Manager Wayne Johnson disputes the ruling outright, arguing the judge erred in a summary judgment hearing where “no evidence was given and no testimony heard.” Johnson says the county reached out to all twelve neighboring tribes through its tribal liaison program before adopting the maps — even though he says the law didn’t require it — and that some tribes participated in public hearings while others opted out.
Johnson also argues the current districts already meet the legislature’s standard of a population variance of plus or minus five percent, which he says makes them legal by definition.
Because the order includes a provision Johnson says automatically stays enforcement during an appeal, commissioners won’t redraw districts while the case is pending.
Case background
The case traces back to an April 2022 lawsuit over that year’s redistricting. It bounced between six judges before Sanchez was assigned that June after a string of recusals, then took more than three years to reach a decision through summary judgment briefing and hearings in 2025 and early 2026.
No replacement map or redistricting timeline has been released, and the county hasn’t said when commissioners might take up a redraw if the appeal fails.