Although the State Citizens Commission on Redistricting is supposed to draw the new lines outlining the boundaries of Assembly, Senate and Congressional districts which include Long Beach, it is clear that some of the Commission's work has been done for them by Redistricting Partners and Political Data, Inc. Additional work has been done by the Mexican American Legal Defense and the Asian Pacific Law Center.
Redistricting Partners is a Sacramento‐based political redistricting firm working at the state, county and
local level to help local governments and outside interest groups navigate the redistricting process. Key
clients include the Community College League, the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, the
Sacramento Downtown Partnership and several incumbent legislators and members of Congress.
Political Data Inc. is the unparalleled leader in voter information, working with campaigns throughout
California on a bipartisan basis. For twenty years Political Data has provided campaigns with necessary
tools for direct voter contact, phone, mail, internet and walk programs. The Political Data servers house
the most robust and trusted political data in the state ‐ and this information will be at the fingertips of
their clients in this year’s redistricting process.
They have teamed together and calculated data based on the census and the supplemental information found in the PDI dataset that will be used by demographers and mapmakers to justify lines based on economic, workplace, and consumer patterns.
I am linking their proposed maps for your review.
Announcement of PDI-+-Redistricting-Partners
California Minority Districts
Congressional Populations
Senate Populations
Assemly Populations
MALDEF maps:
MALDEF Narrative
Proposed Congressional maps
Proposed Assembly Maps
Proposed Senate maps
You will find of interest that the Assembly Districts and Congressional Districts which include Long Beach all experienced increases in Hispanic populations and all will have to add people in order to be balanced. Alan Lowenthal's 27th State Senate District actually had a decrease in Hispanic population.
The most startling news and the factor that will probably produce a congressional district with all of Long Beach within it -- forcing Congresswomen Richardson and Sanchez to slug it out with Congressman Ed Royce and Congressman Dana Rohrabacher if they want to stay in congress.
Particularly vulnerable are Congresswoman Laura Richardson with an 8% increase in Hispanics and a 4% decrease in African Americans. Ed Royce saw a 6% in Hispanics; Linda Sanchez saw a 4% increase and Dana Rohrabacher a 4%.There is another calculation that takes place that is referred to as Citizen Voting Age Population. A 50% CVAP provides protected status on a minority group.
Whatever occurs, it is almost certain that Long Beach will be in one Congressional District, most likely shared with west Orange County -- which is steadily going bluer and bluer (more Democrat). If this redrawing occurs, then the Congressional District will look very much like the one I almost won in 2000 -- to be precise I lost by less than 1% of the vote. It was reported as the 5th closest Congressional race in the U.S. And if this new Congressional District includes west Orange County...I just might have to take a second look at running for Congress again.
