Ruling on controverisal WA voter map that forced out Tri-Cities Latina senator

Source: Tri-City Herald Kennewick, WA

August 28, 2025 5:00 AM


Kennewick, WA

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of a group of Latino voters in the Yakima Valley, saying a newly drawn legislative district does not discriminate on the basis of race. The new boundaries for the 15th Legislative District were used in the 2024 election and will stay in place under the decision in the Palmer v. Trevino federal lawsuit.

But it means GOP state Sen. Nikki Torres of the 15th District will have to move if she wants to run again in 2026 if she wants to represent that district.

In 2022, Susan Soto Palmer and others originally sued Washington state and Secretary of State Steven Hobbs. They argued that the 15th District map violated the Voting Rights Act because redistricting diluted the voting strength of Latino voters. The voters claimed the 2021 Washington State Redistricting Commission “cracked” apart the Yakima Valley’s Latino communities when redrawing the district and excluded heavier Latino communities in exchange for whiter ones. Hispanics made up just barely half of the district’s citizen voting age after the 2021 redraw. Soto Palmer’s group proposed a new district map.

The U.S. District Court of Western Washington approved the new boundaries with minor changes, including adding Yakama Nation trust lands. The map was intended to form legislative districts with more Latino voters. But many Republicans in the state cried foul, claiming it was “all to help the Democratic Party gain seats towards a super majority in the Legislature,” Torres said at the time.

Read more: https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article311876368.html