Nye County residents are suing over new maps the Legislature adopted earlier this month, saying they split Pahrump and could prevent like-minded voters from electing a candidate of their choice.

Ratti, a former Sparks city councilwoman, has held the seat since 2016, when she was elected to finish the term of the late Sen. Debbie Smith. Ratti won again in 2018, and her term expires next year.

Analyses of the shifts in population totals reveal population drops in rural districts represented by Republicans and increases in urban ones represented by Democrats.

Of the 63 newly drawn districts, only four place incumbents against one another. Almost half of those eight incumbents, however, are either termed out or not planning on running for reelection.

Experts warn that district drawing is not destiny, and while Republicans will now face more of an uphill battle under the new maps, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Nevada will lose swing state status.

The bill, SB1, already passed on party lines in the Senate and is expected to be signed by the governor in spite of complaints from Republicans that it skews maps too far in favor of Democrats.

On Monday, a spokesperson for Sisolak confirmed that the governor plans to sign the bill into law, calling them “fair maps that represent Nevada’s diversity and reflect public feedback.”

All Republicans voted against the measure, which makes three of the state’s congressional districts lean toward Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro defended the arrangement.

Opposition to the proposed maps came from Republican lawmakers, upset at the prospect of a decade-long stay in the political wilderness, and advocates who said the maps divide many communities of interest.

The maps divide the Latino population across the four districts, leaving lower concentrations of Latinos in each district and potentially making it more difficult for Latinos to collectively elevate candidates they believe represent their community.