Connecticut has devised a bipartisan process for redistricting. Two Republicans and two Democrats from each chamber of the legislature meet to draw the lines. In their map is approved by a two-thirds vote in both chambers, it becomes law. Otherwise, a ninth member is chosen by the other eight, and they try to reach consensus. The process worked in 2001 when Connecticut had lost one of its six seats in the 2000 census and the commission diplomatically combined the 5th District represented by Democrat Jim Maloney and the 6th District represented by Republican Nancy Johnson. But it didn’t work in in 2011, even with Democrats controlling all five seats. Republicans wanted to remove the heavily Democratic cities of Bridgeport and New Britain from the 4th and 5th Districts respectively, in order to make both seats’ boundaries smoother and more competitive. Knowing 5th District Democrat Chris Murphy was running for Senate, Democrats preferred a map with minimal changes. State House Speaker Chris Donovan - who was running for the open 5th District - removed himself from the commission amid editorial scorn,
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