Facing criticism from his Congressional opponents, Speaker of the House Chris Donovan stepped down Wednesday from the Reapportionment Commission after helping to approve the new state House and Senate District maps.
Unable to reach consensus on how to draw the lines for the five Congressional Districts, the commission will ask the Supreme Court for an extension.
Donovan said his Congressional campaign in the 5th District wasn’t getting in the way of the process for him, but by asking Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to appoint Majority Leader Brendan Sharkey to the commission he “avoids any unnecessary questions.”
There have been numerous calls for Donovan to step down from the commission. But Donovan maintained that his appointment to the commission was constitutionally mandated.
Donovan maintained that the members of the commission were very supportive of his membership, and that it was “outside people making politics out of a process which so far has been a bipartisan cooperative venture.”
Just yesterday one of his Republican opponents, Mark Greenberg sent out an email calling for Donovan to step down from the commission.
“With the pall of Chris Donovan’s conflict casting a dark shadow on the redistricting proceedings, a court-ordered resolution will likely be the only way voters can have confidence that the obviously gerrymandered 5th District hasn’t been stacked for political insiders like Donovan,” Greenberg said.
Donovan has said he will maintain his position as Speaker of the House while running for Congress against two Democrats and four Republicans.