The California Citizen’s Redistricting Commission has released their final maps outlining the new 2012 Congressional district lines in California, sending elected officials scurrying to find themselves a seat. District juggling has been spurred by a successful 2010 ballot initiative which laid out new rules for drawing districts in CA. Basic breakdown – no gerrymandering allowed! As a result, even though CA has kept all 53 of its U.S. House seats, most cover different areas and different constituencies than they have for the past 10 years.
Last week, MsRep told you that WCF fan-fave Congresswoman Lois Capps, currently representing CA-23, will instead run for reelection in the newly-drawn 24th. That was tame news compared to the newest set of scrambles.
This week, the district shifting in California is practically seismic. Congresswoman Grace Napolitano has decided to run in the new (and fortunately similar to her current) 38th district. That’s encouraging news, with just one tiny snag – it puts her at odds with fellow Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (CA-39), who currently represents areas now included in California’s 38th. To avoid a primary battle, Congresswoman Sanchez could instead seek to run in the nearby 47th district. Though it’s true that fellow pro-choice Congresswoman Laura Richardson (CA-37) lives within the lines of the new 47th, she has already declared her intent to run in a neighboring, Compton-based district. So that’s all settled then, right?
Wrong. That Compton-based district – to be numbered CA-44 – sits squarely in areas now represented by newly-elected Congresswoman Janice Hahn (CA-36). So Congresswoman Hahn could face a choice – run against Congresswoman Richardson, or shift to a nearby district and take on 19-term, former Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Congressman Henry Waxman (CA-30).
If your head is spinning now, stay tuned – California’s about to heat up!
