The Connecticut Supreme Court has approved revisions to the state's 20-year-old congressional map. This brings the redistricting process to an end. The map will become official by Tuesday.
The state’s First Congressional District, known as the “lobster claw,” survived the redistricting process. It was drawn by Nathaniel Persily, a Stanford political scientist and law professor.
Ten years ago and again this year, the state redistricting commission failed to produce a new congressional map by the state constitutional deadline. Persily both times was appointed by the court to be in charge of the process.
The purpose of the “lobster claw” was to set up a fair fight between two incumbents, a Democrat and a Republican in the same district when the state lost one of its six House seats during the last redistricting process.
This year, a lawyer representing Republicans called the lobster claw “gerrymandering” and tried to have the court overhaul the map. Six of the seven justices ended up approving the new map.
The court also ordered the commission to pay $89,000 to Persily.
