The redistricting season is winding down as states finalize their maps. Most of my future posts will involve analyzing election races, including this post which analyzes California's congressional races.
On November 2nd, 2010, California voters passed Proposition 20 allowing a commission composed of 5 Democrats, 5 Republicans and 4 Independents to redraw my state's congressional districts. Previously, the state legislature drew the maps. In the House of Representatives, the representatives represent voters in districts the legislature draws. In recent years though, states such as Washington and California have chosen commissions to draw districts without political influence. In California, the commission traveled around the state to hear public comments from citizens like me and talk to groups such as MALDEF. On June 10th, 2011, the California Redistricting Commission released their first set of maps for California after hearing public comments from meetings such as this one on May 20th that I attended. The guidelines set for the commission were to draw districts that follow the VRA, stick to county boundaries as much as possible and preserve communities of interest. They approved the final maps in mid August. Also, this is the first election year where all California Congressional elections will have a top two primary where all candidates run in the June primary and the top two vote getters advance to the general election on November 6th.
I posted an earlier analysis of California's new congressional districts here: http://racesandredistricting.blogspot.com/2011/06/analysis-of-californias-proposed.html but this version is different because it analyzed the 1st draft of California's redistricting maps. This new version here analyzes California's Congressional districts after the Commission approved the final maps. Instead of focusing on communities of interest, this analysis will mostly focus on the congressional races themselves and which party is likely to win them. Overall, the Commission’s new Congressional map produces 28 Safe Democratic seats, four Likely Democratic seats, five Lean Democratic seats, two Tossup seats, two Lean Republican seats and 12 Safe Republican seats. This totals to 37 seats expected to vote Democratic with 14 seats expected to vote Republican for Congress, suggesting Democrats could win 3-5 seats under California’s new map.
A few notes: CVAP represents the citizen voting age population.
Here are the maps of the districts drawn in 2002: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/findyourreps.xpd?state=CA
Here are the maps of the new districts: http://www.mpimaps.com/mapanalysis/california-congressional-delegation/
California's 1st Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 42%, McCain 53%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 37%, Whitman 53%
Demographics: 12% Hispanic, 79% White
Safe Republican
Rep. Wally Herger (R) recently announced his retirement here. State Senator Doug LaMalfa (R) will probably run here. He should have no trouble winning reelection in this heavily rural and Republican district representing the Sierras and the Central Valley in Northern California.
California's 2nd Congressional District: Open (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 71%, McCain 25%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 63%, Whitman 30%
Demographics: 17% Hispanic, 73% White
Safe Democratic
This district which represents Marin County and the North Coast is heavily Democratic so it should not elect a Republican. The Democratic Primary though has been extremely competitive. Four Marin County Democrats are running including State Assembly member Jared Huffman (D), Progressive activist Norman Solomon (D), Marin County Supervisor Susan Adams (D), and entrepreneur Stacy Lawson (D). The lone Republican is business owner Dan Roberts (R). Most polls have showed Huffman in the lead with Solomon as the close second. Due to California's top two primary systems, two Democrats can run against each other in the general election so Solomon is trying to run to the left of Huffman. The strategy seems to be working because most polls show Solomon in 2nd place. Also, Solomon has gained endorsements from progressives such as Raul Griljava (D) from Arizona. The question is how important will these endorsements be in the 2nd district. Huffman has received endorsements from State Attorney General Kamala Harris (D) and three former State Assembly members who represented parts of the 2nd district. As for Adams, her campaign theme of healthy communities and healthy families is appealing but she needs to get more endorsements. Also, for more details on the race for the 2nd district, read my post here: http://racesandredistricting.blogspot.com/2011/11/candidates-forum-for-californias-2nd.html
California's 3rd Congressional District: John Garamendi (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 55%, McCain 42%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 50%, Whitman 43%
Demographics: 28% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 51% White
Lean Democratic
Garamendi used to represent inland Contra Costa County as well as Fairfield in Solano County but his district is now more Republican with the addition of Sutter, Yuba, Colusa and Glenn Counties. Although Obama and Brown still won the district, the Republican areas in the district's northern part make the district competitive. The Republican field consists of Sutter County District Attorney Tony Carlos (R) and Colusa County Supervisor Kim Vann (R). Carlos will be a strong candidate in the general election because of his moderate views on immigration in a district where Hispanics are 16% of the CVAP (Citizen Voting Age population.) He can make inroads among the Hispanic voters in Solano County where Garamendi needs to win large margins in order to win. Carlos may be too moderate for voters in the primary because the Republican electorate in the 3rd district is very conservative. As for Vann, most pundits consider her the frontrunner. I see Garamendi winning though because Vann's primary campaign theme is agricultural issues. Those issues are important to voters in the northern part of the district but if Vann wants to win, she needs to make inroads in Solano County and agriculture is less important there. Also, Obama's presence on the ticket should increase turnout in Yolo County where Garamendi needs a strong turnout to win.
California's 4th Congressional District: Tom McClintock (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 43%, McCain 54%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 37%, Whitman 55%
Demographics: 12% Hispanic, 78% White
Safe Republican
McClintock gains new territory in the Central Sierras but the new territory is rural and Republican like the rest of his district. He should have no trouble winning reelection here.
California's 5th Congressional District: Mike Thompson (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 70%, McCain 26%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 63%, Whitman 31%
Demographics: 26% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 53% White
Safe Democratic
Thompson faces unfamiliar territory by gaining Santa Rosa and the Martinez area. Although Rep. George Miller (D) lives in Martinez, he should run in the nearby district containing Richmond and Concord. Thompson should be safe from a primary challenge though and the 70% Obama number should ensure his reelection against a Republican.
California's 6th Congressional District: Doris Matsui (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 68%, McCain 29%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 66%, Whitman 28%
Demographics: 13% African American, 27% Hispanic, 15% Asian, 39% White
Safe Democratic
Matsui's district remains similar to its current form. It is still heavily Democratic and safe for her.
California's 7th Congressional District: Dan Lungren (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 51%, McCain 46%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 49%, Whitman 44%
Demographics: 8% African American, 14% Asian, 16% Hispanic, 57% White
Lean Democratic
In its 2006 edition, the Almanac of American Politics called Lungren's district safely Republican but in the last few years, the district's demographics have changed as the Sacramento suburbs have trended Democratic quickly. The Democrats gained a State Assembly seat in the Sacramento suburbs in 2010 and Democratic candidate Dr. Ami Bera (D) came within seven points of unseating Lungren in 2010, a heavily Republican year. Across the state, Jerry Brown (D) underperformed Obama statewide but in the Sacramento suburbs, he matched Obama's percentages. Also, Democrats gained a State Assembly seat in the Sacramento suburbs in 2010, further evidence the area is trending Democratic. The commission also decreased McCain's percentage in Lungren's district from 49% to 46%. This race should be very competitive because Bera is running again and he is a strong fundraiser (he outraised Lungren in 2010.) Also, 2012 should be more favorable to the Democrats than 2010 was.
California's 8th Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 42%, McCain 55%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 36%, Whitman 52%
Demographics: 8% African American, 35% Hispanic, 50% White
Safe Republican
The 42% Obama percentage makes this district too Republican to elect a Democrat in the foreseeable future so the Republican primary will be the important contest in this race. Candidates for the 8th district include Victorville city councilwoman Angela Valles (R), Victorville mayor Ryan McEachron (R) and Hesperia city councilman Bill Jensen (R). Jensen plans to run on the tea party platform while Eachron seems to have a more moderate platform. He does not mention the tea party once on his website. Although the 8th district's Republicans are mostly conservative, the conservative candidates could split the vote, allowing McEachron to consolidate the less conservative Republicans and win the nomination.
California's 9th Congressional District: Jerry McNerney (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 56%, McCain 41%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 51%, Whitman 42%
Demographics: 9% African American, 14% Asian, 37% Hispanic, 37% White
Hispanic CVAP: 23%
Likely Democratic
McNerney has consistently faced close elections in the current 11th district which voted for Obama by nine points. In the 9th district though, Obama won by 15 points so McNerney will be much safer here. The district becomes more Democratic because it gains heavily Democratic neighborhoods in Stockton and Antioch. 24 year old law student Ricky Gill (R) plans to challenge McNerney and has already raised $800,000. McNerney though has defeated tough candidates before, including former House Resources Chairman Richard Pombo (R) in a less Democratic district. Also, 2012 should not be a Republican year so McNerney should probably win although I expect the DCCC to spend money here.
California's 10th Congressional District: Jeff Denham (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 50%, McCain 47%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 43%, Whitman 49%
Demographics: 40% Hispanic, 46% White
Hispanic CVAP: 25%
Lean Republican
The 10th district represents southern San Joaquin County which is split between Republican leaning Manteca and Democratic leaning Tracy. The 10th district then represents all of Republican leaning Stanislaus County. Also, Rep. Jeff Denham (R) from the current 19th district which voted 46% for Obama, compared to the 10th district's 50% Obama, plans to run here. Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D) who represents part of the 10th district then decided to retire. The Democrats recruited a strong candidate though, Astronaut Jose Hernandez (D) who the DCCC is strongly supporting.
California's 11th Congressional District: George Miller (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 69%, McCain 28%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 61%, Whitman 33%
Demographics: 9% African American, 13% Asian, 26% Hispanic, 52% White
Safe Democratic
George Miller should have no trouble winning this heavily Democratic district representing Richmond and central Contra Costa County.
California's 12th Congressional District: Nancy Pelosi (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 84%, McCain 13%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 78%, Whitman 16%
Demographics: 6% African American, 31% Asian, 15% Hispanic, 44% White
Safe Democratic
Besides gaining part of the Sunset District, Pelosi's district does not change. It remains located in heavily Democratic San Francisco.
California's 13th Congressional District: Barbara Lee (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 87%, McCain 10%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 84%, Whitman 11%
Demographics: 20% African American, 21% Asian, 21% Hispanic, 34% White
Safe Democratic
Lee's district gains Alameda and San Leandro. Besides these changes, her district remains the same. It is still one of California's most Democratic districts.
California's 14th Congressional District: Jackie Speier (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 73%, McCain 24%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 66%, Whitman 28%
Demographics: 31% Asian, 24% Hispanic, 37% White
Safe Democratic
Speier's district does not undergo major changes. It retains most of San Mateo County and remains heavily Democratic.
California's 15th Congressional District: Pete Stark (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 67%, McCain 30%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 59%, Whitman 35%
Demographics: 7% African American, 27% Asian, 23% Hispanic, 37% White
Safe Democratic
Stark gains San Ramon and Dublin/Pleasanton/Livermore and these changes make his district a bit more Republican. He may face a primary challenge from Rohit Khanna (D) who is a former Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Commerce Department and raised $1.2 million for a possible race. If he runs for Stark's seat, he could make the primary very close.
California's 16th Congressional District: Jim Costa (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 57%, McCain 40%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 49%, Whitman 41%
Demographics: 9% Asian, 58% Hispanic, 25% White
Hispanic CVAP: 41% Hispanic
Likely Democratic
Costa's district moves north as it retains Democratic parts of Fresno and gains Madera and Merced Counties. Merced County is a swing county but Madera County is Republican but trending Democratic. Although Costa faced a tough reelection in 2010, he should win during more neutral years in this district. In 2010, Costa had a close race due to Republican margins in Kings County but Kings County is no longer in his district so Costa has a stronger chance to win.
California's 17th Congressional District: Mike Honda (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 69%, McCain 28%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 61%, Whitman 33%
Demographics: 49% Asian, 17% Hispanic, 27% White
Safe Democratic
Honda's district almost becomes an Asian majority district and if population trends continue, the district should become Asian majority. Honda remains safe from a Republican challenge. Although Honda does not live in this district, I expect him to run here because this district contains most of his current district.
California's 18th Congressional District: Anna Eshoo (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 70%, McCain 27%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 60%, Whitman 35%
Demographics: 19% Asian, 17% Hispanic, 58% White
Safe Democratic
Eshoo's district does not change much and remains heavily Democratic.
California's 19th Congressional District: Zoe Lofgren (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 68%, McCain 29%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 60%, Whitman 33%
Demographics: 26% Asian, 41% Hispanic, 27% White
Hispanic CVAP: 29%
Safe Democratic
Lofgren's district gains Morgan Hill but besides this change, her district retains most of its current lines and remains Democratic.
California's 20th Congressional District: Sam Farr (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 71%, McCain 26%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 63%, Whitman 31%
Demographics: 51% Hispanic, 39% White
Hispanic CVAP: 28%
Safe Democratic
Farr's district does not make major changes. It gains some precincts in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties but remains anchored in Central California and is heavily Democratic.
California's 21st Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 51%, McCain 46%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 47%, Whitman 44%
Demographics: 71% Hispanic, 19% White
Hispanic CVAP: 49%
Tossup
The 21st district represents heavily Hispanic areas in the southern Central Valley. It contains large portions of Costa's current district but Costa decided to run in the new 16th district so the 21st district lacks an incumbent. Although the district has a high Hispanic population, the Hispanic turnout is usually low so the district is a swing district. It is trending Democratic though because despite underperforming Obama throughout the state, Brown nearly equaled Obama's performance in the 21st district. The Republicans have a strong candidate for the 21st district though. State Assembly member David Valadao (R) is running and he easily beat Fran Florez (D) for the State Assembly seat. State Assembly member Michael Rubio (D) originally planned to run but he left the race. Democrats hope Florez's son, former State Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D) decides to run.
California's 22nd Congressional District: Devin Nunes (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 42%, McCain 55%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 35%, Whitman 59%
Demographics: 7% Asian, 45% Hispanic, 42% White
Hispanic CVAP: 30%
Safe Republican
Nunes's district becomes smaller but remains heavily Republican and centered around Tulare County and conservative Fresno suburbs.
California's 23rd Congressional District: Kevin McCarthy (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 36%, McCain 61%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 33%, Whitman 58%
Demographics: 36% Hispanic, 51% White
Hispanic CVAP: 23%
Safe Republican
McCarthy's district loses all of its San Luis Obispo County territory and becomes more centered around Kern and Tulare Counties. The district remains heavily Republican and is McCain's best district in California.
California's 24th Congressional District: Lois Capps (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 56%, McCain 41%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 46%, Whitman 46%
Demographics: 34% Hispanic, 57% White
Lean Democratic
Before 2002, Capps ran in a district with similar lines to the 24th and faced competitive races. In 2002, she received a safer district and won easily in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. The district's new lines though remove heavily Democratic Oxnard while adding the conservative interiors of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. I lived in Santa Barbara for a few years so I realized how Santa Barbara County seems to be a small version of California. It has beach communities, agricultural based communities, upscale liberals, county club Republicans, college liberals, heavily Hispanic communities, and conservative inland communities. Like California, Santa Barbara County has trended Democratic. Gore won by only a few points but Obama won 60% of the vote there. San Luis Obispo County in the northern part of the district has trended Democratic too. Santa Barbara County swung toward the Republicans though in 2010 because turnout in UCSB was low. If Capps wants to win in 2012, she needs to increase turnout there. Her challenger is former Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado (R) who is a moderate. Capps is a strong campaigner and has survived tough challenges in the 90s when the district was less Democratic. Being named the "nicest member of Congress" by the Washingtonian magazine does not hurt her chances either.
California's 25th Congressional District: Buck McKeon (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 49%, McCain 48%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 39%, Whitman 52%
Demographics: 8% African American, 8% Asian, 35% Hispanic, 46% White
Safe Republican
Although Lancaster and Palmdale are trending Democratic quickly, Simi Valley, Santa Clarita and McKeon's popularity will keep this district safely in the Republican column.
California's 26th Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 56%, McCain 41%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 46%, Whitman 47%
Demographics: 6% Asian, 43% Hispanic, 46% White
Hispanic CVAP: 26%
Lean Democratic
Gallegly recently announced his retirement which makes this race easier for Democrats. His district became more Democratic with the addition of Oxnard and his home of Simi Valley was placed in Buck McKeon's (R) district. There are already five Democrats running though. They include Moorpark City Councilman David Pollock (D), retired longshoreman Zeke Ruelas, Oxnard Harbor District President Jess Herrera (D), Westlake Village Businessman David Cruz (D) and Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett (D). Bennett represents Democratic leaning Ventura City as a Supervisor, is popular and well known throughout the district. Cruz and Herrera though are getting support from Hispanic groups and should win support from the district's large Hispanic population in the primary. Pollock is from Republican leaning Moorpark so if he wins the nomination, he could make inroads there. Most pundits agree though that Bennett is the frontrunner in the primary. On the Republican side, Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks (R) from Thousand Oaks has announced. Other potential candidates include State Senator Tony Strickland (R), and Moorpark City Councilman Keith Millhouse (R). Parks should do well with moderate Republicans while Strickland appeals to the district's more conservative voters.
California's 27th Congressional District: Judy Chu (D) vs. David Dreier (R)?
Presidential Data: Obama 61%, McCain 35%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 55%, Whitman 39%
Demographics: 37% Asian, 27% Hispanic, 29% White
Safe Democratic, Likely Democratic if Dreier runs
The 27th district is a combination of Chu's and Dreier's districts while representing foothill communities currently in Dreier's district and heavily Asian areas such as Monterey Park in Chu's current district. Although Dreier is moderate and popular, the 61% Obama number should be high enough to protect Chu. Also, she is a very strong campaigner and a popular incumbent.
California's 28th Congressional District: Adam Schiff (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 70%, McCain 26%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 63%, Whitman 30%
Demographics: 14% Asian, 26% Hispanic, 55% White
Safe Democratic
Schiff's district loses Pasadena and gains West Hollywood. His district remains heavily Democratic.
California's 29th Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 74%, McCain 23%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 68%, Whitman 24%
Demographics: 8% Asian, 69% Hispanic, 18% White
Safe Democratic
The commission created this new district as a Hispanic majority district in the San Fernando Valley. Although the district contains territory from both Reps. Howard Berman's (D) and Brad Sherman's (D) districts, they both decided not to run here (see California's 30th Congressional district.) The frontrunner for the 29th district is Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas (D). He has received support from important political figures such as California's Assembly Speaker John Perez (D) and Rep. Howard Berman.
California's 30th Congressional District: Howard Berman (D) vs. Brad Sherman (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 66%, McCain 31%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 57%, Whitman 36%
Demographics: 12% Asian, 27% Hispanic, 53% White
Safe Democratic
The commission combined the homes of Reps. Berman and Sherman so there will be a contentious primary in this district. Some pundits have suggested that Sherman should run in the open 26th district in Ventura County in order to avoid a possible primary loss in the 30th district. Although no polls have been released for the primary, Berman has gained many endorsements, with 23 representatives endorsing him compared to two for Sherman (Reps. Judy Chu (D) and Grace Napolitano (D).) It is unclear how many voters will be swayed by all the endorsements. This does not indicate Sherman will lose though. He received the endorsement of Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom (D), State Controller John Chiang (D) and has raised $3.7 million, more than Berman's $2.2 million but Berman is raising money quickly. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) hosted a large fundraiser for Berman recently. This primary will be very close and could attract national attention.
California's 31st Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 56%, McCain 41%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 49%, Whitman 41%
Demographics: 12% African American, 7% Asian, 49% Hispanic, 30% White
Hispanic CVAP: 35%
Lean Democratic
This district represents Republican leaning Rancho Cucamonga and Democratic leaning San Bernardino and Colton. The district as a whole leans Democratic and is trending Democratic as Hispanics continue to move into the district. Although Lewis lives in the new 31st district, he does not represent much territory in it and he may decide to either retire or run in the more conservative 8th district. Rep. Jerry Lewis (R) lives in this district but recently announced his retirement. Rep. Gary Miller (R) who represented eastern Orange County and Diamond Bar in Los Angeles County plans to run here instead. Anyway, Rep. Joe Baca (D) lives in this district but decided to run in the more Democratic 35th district so the Democratic field is open here. Two Democratic candidates, Renea Wickman (D) and Russ Warner (D) have announced plans to run. Wickman is a community activist working with youth and ran unsuccessfully in 2010 for the 63rd Assembly district. Warner is a businessman from Rancho Cucamonga who is more moderate than Wickman is, especially on issues such as immigration. This could be difficult for him in this district with a large Hispanic population. The frontrunner though is Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar (D) who recently announced his candidacy.
California's 32nd Congressional District: Grace Napolitano (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 62%, McCain 35%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 57%, Whitman 35%
Demographics: 15% Asian, 63% Hispanic, 18% White
Safe Democratic
Napolitano's district loses her home but I expect her to run here because it contains most of her current district. Dreier's home is here so he may run here but I doubt he would win in a 62% Obama district.
California's 33rd Congressional District: Henry Waxman (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 64%, McCain 33%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 55%, Whitman 40%
Demographics: 13% Asian, 11% Hispanic, 69% White
Safe Democratic
Waxman's district gains large portions of the current 36th district along the coast. It remains heavily Democratic and upscale.
California's 34th Congressional District: Xavier Beccara (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 77%, McCain 19%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 76%, Whitman 16%
Demographics: 20% Asian, 65% Hispanic, 9% White
Safe Democratic
Beccara's district does not undergo major changes. It remains heavily Hispanic and Democratic.
California's 35th Congressional District: Joe Baca (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 64%, McCain 32%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 57%, Whitman 33%
Demographics: 7% African American, 69% Hispanic, 16% White
Hispanic CVAP: 52%
Safe Democratic
This district should be too Democratic to elect a Republican representative but the Democratic primary will be close. Rep. Joe Baca (D) who represented parts of the district plans to run here and so does State Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod (D). Both representatives are popular and McLeod defeated Baca's son in her 2006 State Senate primary.
California's 36th Congressional District: Mary Bono Mack (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 50%, McCain 47%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 43%, Whitman 49%
Demographics: 47% Hispanic, 44% White
Hispanic CVAP: 27%
Lean Republican
The district voted for Obama and is trending Democratic but Bono Mack is a very popular representative and is moderate. Also, openly gay Palm Springs mayor Steve Pougent (D) has not made plans to run for the seat although he would be a strong candidate. He ran in 2010 and performed well against Bono Mack. The Democrats found a candidate to challenge Bono Mack though. Dr. Raul Ruiz (D), a physician has announced his candidacy and he is the first Hispanic candidate to challenge Bono Mack for her seat in a district with a large and fast growing Hispanic population. Bono Mack's moderate positions and popularity make her formidable though.
California's 37th Congressional District: Karen Bass (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 84%, McCain 13%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 79%, McCain 15%
Demographics: 25% African American, 9% Asian, 39% Hispanic, 24% White
African American CVAP: 34%, Hispanic CVAP, 21%
Safe Democratic
Bass retains most of her current territory and represents heavily Democratic areas with a large African American CVAP. She should be safe here.
California's 38th Congressional District: Linda Sanchez (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 61%, McCain 35%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 57%, Whitman 35%
Demographics: 14% Asian, 61% Hispanic, 19% White
Hispanic CVAP: 51%
Safe Democratic
Although this district is too Democratic to elect a Republican representative, there will be a competitive primary here. State Senator Ron Calderon (D) is challenging Sanchez here. Although Sanchez is a popular representative, she has represented only a small part of the district while she is unfamiliar with the voters in the Montebello area where Calderon lives. She needs to introduce herself to voters in that area. I expect she will receive support from other congressional representatives though so she may win.
California's 39th Congressional District: Ed Royce (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 47%, McCain 49%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 38%, Whitman 54%
Demographics: 29% Asian, 33% Hispanic, 34% White
Safe Republican
Although this district may be trending Democratic because Democratic voters are moving into it, this district remains Republican at a local level. Reps. Miller and Royce were both drawn into the district but Miller decided to run in CA-31 instead so Royce has the field to himself.
California's 40th Congressional District: Lucille Roybal Allard (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 77%, McCain 19%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 73%, Whitman 19%
Demographics: 6% African American, 86% Hispanic, 5% White
Hispanic CVAP: 73%
Safe Democratic
Allard's district becomes the most heavily Hispanic district in the country with an 86% Hispanic population. It also remains heavily Democratic.
California's 41st Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 59%, McCain 38%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 52%, Whitman 40%
Demographics: 10% African American, 6% Asian, 56% Hispanic, 26% White
Hispanic CVAP: 37%
Likely Democratic
The commission created this new Hispanic majority district combining communities of interest in northern Riverside County. The district also voted for Obama and Brown by double digit margins so Democrats have an advantage here. The Democrat running is openly gay Riverside Community College School Board Member Mark Takano (D). Takano ran for this seat under similar lines in 1992 and lost by 550 votes when the area was less Democratic. Riverside County Supervisor John Taviglione (R) who represents most of the district is challenging Takano. Although Taviglione is popular and well known, the 59% Obama number in this Democratic trending district and Takano's campaign skills may be too high for him to overcome.
California's 42nd Congressional District: Ken Calvert (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 43%, McCain 54%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 35%, Whitman 56%
Demographics: 9% Asian, 36% Hispanic, 47% White
Safe Republican
In 2008, Calvert faced a tough race not only because of his ethics problems but also because the district was trending Democratic quickly and voted for Obama. In this new map though, Calvert is much safer by losing Democratic Riverside and gaining more Republican parts of Riverside County.
California's 43rd Congressional District: Maxine Waters (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 75%, McCain 22%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 69%, Whitman 24%
Demographics: 24% African American, 12% Asian, 46% Hispanic, 15% White
African American CVAP 33%, Hispanic CVAP 29%
Safe Democratic
Waters's district remains heavily Democratic but the Hispanic CVAP is increasing and is almost as high as the African American CVAP. This creates the possibility of a Hispanic candidate challenging Waters in the primary and winning due to support from Hispanics. Waters's ethics problems though create an even larger opening for a primary challenger too.
California's 44th Congressional District: Laura Richardson (D) vs. Janice Hahn (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 81%, McCain 15%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 77%, Whitman 15%
Demographics: 17% African American, 68% Hispanic, 7% White
African American CVAP 28%, Hispanic CVAP 49%
Safe Democratic
This district will see a tight primary race for the Democrats. Only a small portion of Hahn's district is in the new 44th but Hahn has a strong shot at winning not only because she is popular with the district's many working class voters but also because Richardson has ethics problems. Hahn is a former city councilmember from Los Angeles and represented large portions of the district in the city council. A poll showed her leading Richardson 47-26 but the poll was conducted in August so it may be outdated.
California's 45th Congressional District: John Campbell (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 46%, McCain 51%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 34%, Whitman 59%
Demographics: 21% Asian, 18% Hispanic, 56% White
Safe Republican
Campbell's district loses territory on the Orange County coast and gains more conservative towns inland such as Lake Forest. Although Irvine is Democratic leaning, the rest of the district leans Republican and should keep this district strongly in the Republican column.
California's 46th Congressional District: Loretta Sanchez (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 58%, McCain 39%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 50%, Whitman 40%
Demographics: 12% Asian, 67% Hispanic, 18% White
Safe Democratic
Sanchez's district remains similar to its current form; heavily Hispanic and Democratic.
California's 47th Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 58%, McCain 39%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 50%, Whitman 42%
Demographics: 8% African American, 21% Asian, 34% Hispanic, 34% White
Likely Democratic
State Senator Alan Lowenthal (D) is facing Long Beach City Councilmember Gary DeLong (R) in this district combining the city of Long Beach with some Orange County communities such as Garden Grove. As of last October though, DeLong had outraised Lowenthal but the district has a large Democratic base and if Obama motivates the Democratic base, Lowenthal should receive a large boost and be able to win.
California's 48th Congressional District: Dana Rohrabacher (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 46%, McCain 51%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 35%, Whitman 58%
Demographics: 17% Asian, 20% Hispanic, 59% White
Safe Republican
Rohrabacher's district loses the entire Los Angeles County portion and gains more of the Orange County coast. It remains Republican and safe for him.
California's 49th Congressional District: Darrell Issa (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 49%, McCain 47%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 37%, Whitman 55%
Demographics: 7% Asian, 26% Hispanic, 62% White
Safe Republican
Issa's district becomes more Democratic by gaining Carlsbad and Del Mar which were formerly in Bilbray's district. Issa's district still remains safe for him but if Democratic trends continue and Issa retires, this district could become competitive. Bilbray faced competitive races in 2006 and 2008 in a district with similar territory.
California's 50th Congressional District: Duncan Hunter (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 39%, McCain 58%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 30%, Whitman 66%
Demographics: 30% Hispanic, 59% White
Safe Republican
Hunter should be safe in this district representing inland San Diego County. It was Whitman's best district in California and McCain's best district south of Bakersfield.
California's 51st Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 65%, McCain 32%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 58%, Whitman 31%
Demographics: 7% African American, 8% Asian, 68% Hispanic, 14% White
Safe Democratic
Rep. Bob Filner (D) represented most of this district in Congress but the seat is open because he plans to run for mayor. State Sen. Juan Vargas (D) is running to replace him. Vargas has an advantage because he is well known in the San Diego portion of the district and his State Senate district covers almost the entire new 51st district. Denise Duchney (D), a former State Senator from Vargas's district is running too so there will be a competitive primary for this seat that should vote Democratic in the general election.
California's 52nd Congressional District: Brian Bilbray (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 55%, McCain 43%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 43%, Whitman 50%
Demographics: 18% Asian, 13% Hispanic, 62% White
Tossup
Bilbray's district still represents northern San Diego City but the district suddenly jumps from 50% Obama to 55% Obama. He now faces three strong Democratic challengers: Assemblywoman Lori Saldana (D), businessman Bob Nascenzi (D) and Port of San Diego Commission Chairman Scott Peters (D). Most pundits believe that Saldana and Peters will be the Democratic frontrunners for the seat. Bilbray though has fended off difficult challenges for the seat in 2006 and 2008 but the new district is more Democratic so he should worry.
California's 53rd Congressional District: Susan Davis (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 61%, McCain 36%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 52%, Whitman 40%
Demographics: 8% African American, 13% Asian, 32% Hispanic, 43% White
Safe Democratic
Davis’s district becomes less Democratic as it gains some San Diego suburbs. The 61% Obama number though should keep her safe.
Presidential Data: Obama 42%, McCain 53%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 37%, Whitman 53%
Demographics: 12% Hispanic, 79% White
Safe Republican
Rep. Wally Herger (R) recently announced his retirement here. State Senator Doug LaMalfa (R) will probably run here. He should have no trouble winning reelection in this heavily rural and Republican district representing the Sierras and the Central Valley in Northern California.
California's 2nd Congressional District: Open (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 71%, McCain 25%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 63%, Whitman 30%
Demographics: 17% Hispanic, 73% White
Safe Democratic
This district which represents Marin County and the North Coast is heavily Democratic so it should not elect a Republican. The Democratic Primary though has been extremely competitive. Four Marin County Democrats are running including State Assembly member Jared Huffman (D), Progressive activist Norman Solomon (D), Marin County Supervisor Susan Adams (D), and entrepreneur Stacy Lawson (D). The lone Republican is business owner Dan Roberts (R). Most polls have showed Huffman in the lead with Solomon as the close second. Due to California's top two primary systems, two Democrats can run against each other in the general election so Solomon is trying to run to the left of Huffman. The strategy seems to be working because most polls show Solomon in 2nd place. Also, Solomon has gained endorsements from progressives such as Raul Griljava (D) from Arizona. The question is how important will these endorsements be in the 2nd district. Huffman has received endorsements from State Attorney General Kamala Harris (D) and three former State Assembly members who represented parts of the 2nd district. As for Adams, her campaign theme of healthy communities and healthy families is appealing but she needs to get more endorsements. Also, for more details on the race for the 2nd district, read my post here: http://racesandredistricting.blogspot.com/2011/11/candidates-forum-for-californias-2nd.html
California's 3rd Congressional District: John Garamendi (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 55%, McCain 42%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 50%, Whitman 43%
Demographics: 28% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 51% White
Lean Democratic
Garamendi used to represent inland Contra Costa County as well as Fairfield in Solano County but his district is now more Republican with the addition of Sutter, Yuba, Colusa and Glenn Counties. Although Obama and Brown still won the district, the Republican areas in the district's northern part make the district competitive. The Republican field consists of Sutter County District Attorney Tony Carlos (R) and Colusa County Supervisor Kim Vann (R). Carlos will be a strong candidate in the general election because of his moderate views on immigration in a district where Hispanics are 16% of the CVAP (Citizen Voting Age population.) He can make inroads among the Hispanic voters in Solano County where Garamendi needs to win large margins in order to win. Carlos may be too moderate for voters in the primary because the Republican electorate in the 3rd district is very conservative. As for Vann, most pundits consider her the frontrunner. I see Garamendi winning though because Vann's primary campaign theme is agricultural issues. Those issues are important to voters in the northern part of the district but if Vann wants to win, she needs to make inroads in Solano County and agriculture is less important there. Also, Obama's presence on the ticket should increase turnout in Yolo County where Garamendi needs a strong turnout to win.
California's 4th Congressional District: Tom McClintock (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 43%, McCain 54%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 37%, Whitman 55%
Demographics: 12% Hispanic, 78% White
Safe Republican
McClintock gains new territory in the Central Sierras but the new territory is rural and Republican like the rest of his district. He should have no trouble winning reelection here.
California's 5th Congressional District: Mike Thompson (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 70%, McCain 26%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 63%, Whitman 31%
Demographics: 26% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 53% White
Safe Democratic
Thompson faces unfamiliar territory by gaining Santa Rosa and the Martinez area. Although Rep. George Miller (D) lives in Martinez, he should run in the nearby district containing Richmond and Concord. Thompson should be safe from a primary challenge though and the 70% Obama number should ensure his reelection against a Republican.
California's 6th Congressional District: Doris Matsui (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 68%, McCain 29%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 66%, Whitman 28%
Demographics: 13% African American, 27% Hispanic, 15% Asian, 39% White
Safe Democratic
Matsui's district remains similar to its current form. It is still heavily Democratic and safe for her.
California's 7th Congressional District: Dan Lungren (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 51%, McCain 46%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 49%, Whitman 44%
Demographics: 8% African American, 14% Asian, 16% Hispanic, 57% White
Lean Democratic
In its 2006 edition, the Almanac of American Politics called Lungren's district safely Republican but in the last few years, the district's demographics have changed as the Sacramento suburbs have trended Democratic quickly. The Democrats gained a State Assembly seat in the Sacramento suburbs in 2010 and Democratic candidate Dr. Ami Bera (D) came within seven points of unseating Lungren in 2010, a heavily Republican year. Across the state, Jerry Brown (D) underperformed Obama statewide but in the Sacramento suburbs, he matched Obama's percentages. Also, Democrats gained a State Assembly seat in the Sacramento suburbs in 2010, further evidence the area is trending Democratic. The commission also decreased McCain's percentage in Lungren's district from 49% to 46%. This race should be very competitive because Bera is running again and he is a strong fundraiser (he outraised Lungren in 2010.) Also, 2012 should be more favorable to the Democrats than 2010 was.
California's 8th Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 42%, McCain 55%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 36%, Whitman 52%
Demographics: 8% African American, 35% Hispanic, 50% White
Safe Republican
The 42% Obama percentage makes this district too Republican to elect a Democrat in the foreseeable future so the Republican primary will be the important contest in this race. Candidates for the 8th district include Victorville city councilwoman Angela Valles (R), Victorville mayor Ryan McEachron (R) and Hesperia city councilman Bill Jensen (R). Jensen plans to run on the tea party platform while Eachron seems to have a more moderate platform. He does not mention the tea party once on his website. Although the 8th district's Republicans are mostly conservative, the conservative candidates could split the vote, allowing McEachron to consolidate the less conservative Republicans and win the nomination.
California's 9th Congressional District: Jerry McNerney (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 56%, McCain 41%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 51%, Whitman 42%
Demographics: 9% African American, 14% Asian, 37% Hispanic, 37% White
Hispanic CVAP: 23%
Likely Democratic
McNerney has consistently faced close elections in the current 11th district which voted for Obama by nine points. In the 9th district though, Obama won by 15 points so McNerney will be much safer here. The district becomes more Democratic because it gains heavily Democratic neighborhoods in Stockton and Antioch. 24 year old law student Ricky Gill (R) plans to challenge McNerney and has already raised $800,000. McNerney though has defeated tough candidates before, including former House Resources Chairman Richard Pombo (R) in a less Democratic district. Also, 2012 should not be a Republican year so McNerney should probably win although I expect the DCCC to spend money here.
California's 10th Congressional District: Jeff Denham (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 50%, McCain 47%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 43%, Whitman 49%
Demographics: 40% Hispanic, 46% White
Hispanic CVAP: 25%
Lean Republican
The 10th district represents southern San Joaquin County which is split between Republican leaning Manteca and Democratic leaning Tracy. The 10th district then represents all of Republican leaning Stanislaus County. Also, Rep. Jeff Denham (R) from the current 19th district which voted 46% for Obama, compared to the 10th district's 50% Obama, plans to run here. Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D) who represents part of the 10th district then decided to retire. The Democrats recruited a strong candidate though, Astronaut Jose Hernandez (D) who the DCCC is strongly supporting.
California's 11th Congressional District: George Miller (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 69%, McCain 28%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 61%, Whitman 33%
Demographics: 9% African American, 13% Asian, 26% Hispanic, 52% White
Safe Democratic
George Miller should have no trouble winning this heavily Democratic district representing Richmond and central Contra Costa County.
California's 12th Congressional District: Nancy Pelosi (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 84%, McCain 13%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 78%, Whitman 16%
Demographics: 6% African American, 31% Asian, 15% Hispanic, 44% White
Safe Democratic
Besides gaining part of the Sunset District, Pelosi's district does not change. It remains located in heavily Democratic San Francisco.
California's 13th Congressional District: Barbara Lee (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 87%, McCain 10%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 84%, Whitman 11%
Demographics: 20% African American, 21% Asian, 21% Hispanic, 34% White
Safe Democratic
Lee's district gains Alameda and San Leandro. Besides these changes, her district remains the same. It is still one of California's most Democratic districts.
California's 14th Congressional District: Jackie Speier (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 73%, McCain 24%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 66%, Whitman 28%
Demographics: 31% Asian, 24% Hispanic, 37% White
Safe Democratic
Speier's district does not undergo major changes. It retains most of San Mateo County and remains heavily Democratic.
California's 15th Congressional District: Pete Stark (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 67%, McCain 30%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 59%, Whitman 35%
Demographics: 7% African American, 27% Asian, 23% Hispanic, 37% White
Safe Democratic
Stark gains San Ramon and Dublin/Pleasanton/Livermore and these changes make his district a bit more Republican. He may face a primary challenge from Rohit Khanna (D) who is a former Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Commerce Department and raised $1.2 million for a possible race. If he runs for Stark's seat, he could make the primary very close.
California's 16th Congressional District: Jim Costa (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 57%, McCain 40%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 49%, Whitman 41%
Demographics: 9% Asian, 58% Hispanic, 25% White
Hispanic CVAP: 41% Hispanic
Likely Democratic
Costa's district moves north as it retains Democratic parts of Fresno and gains Madera and Merced Counties. Merced County is a swing county but Madera County is Republican but trending Democratic. Although Costa faced a tough reelection in 2010, he should win during more neutral years in this district. In 2010, Costa had a close race due to Republican margins in Kings County but Kings County is no longer in his district so Costa has a stronger chance to win.
California's 17th Congressional District: Mike Honda (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 69%, McCain 28%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 61%, Whitman 33%
Demographics: 49% Asian, 17% Hispanic, 27% White
Safe Democratic
Honda's district almost becomes an Asian majority district and if population trends continue, the district should become Asian majority. Honda remains safe from a Republican challenge. Although Honda does not live in this district, I expect him to run here because this district contains most of his current district.
California's 18th Congressional District: Anna Eshoo (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 70%, McCain 27%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 60%, Whitman 35%
Demographics: 19% Asian, 17% Hispanic, 58% White
Safe Democratic
Eshoo's district does not change much and remains heavily Democratic.
California's 19th Congressional District: Zoe Lofgren (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 68%, McCain 29%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 60%, Whitman 33%
Demographics: 26% Asian, 41% Hispanic, 27% White
Hispanic CVAP: 29%
Safe Democratic
Lofgren's district gains Morgan Hill but besides this change, her district retains most of its current lines and remains Democratic.
California's 20th Congressional District: Sam Farr (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 71%, McCain 26%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 63%, Whitman 31%
Demographics: 51% Hispanic, 39% White
Hispanic CVAP: 28%
Safe Democratic
Farr's district does not make major changes. It gains some precincts in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties but remains anchored in Central California and is heavily Democratic.
California's 21st Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 51%, McCain 46%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 47%, Whitman 44%
Demographics: 71% Hispanic, 19% White
Hispanic CVAP: 49%
Tossup
The 21st district represents heavily Hispanic areas in the southern Central Valley. It contains large portions of Costa's current district but Costa decided to run in the new 16th district so the 21st district lacks an incumbent. Although the district has a high Hispanic population, the Hispanic turnout is usually low so the district is a swing district. It is trending Democratic though because despite underperforming Obama throughout the state, Brown nearly equaled Obama's performance in the 21st district. The Republicans have a strong candidate for the 21st district though. State Assembly member David Valadao (R) is running and he easily beat Fran Florez (D) for the State Assembly seat. State Assembly member Michael Rubio (D) originally planned to run but he left the race. Democrats hope Florez's son, former State Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D) decides to run.
California's 22nd Congressional District: Devin Nunes (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 42%, McCain 55%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 35%, Whitman 59%
Demographics: 7% Asian, 45% Hispanic, 42% White
Hispanic CVAP: 30%
Safe Republican
Nunes's district becomes smaller but remains heavily Republican and centered around Tulare County and conservative Fresno suburbs.
California's 23rd Congressional District: Kevin McCarthy (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 36%, McCain 61%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 33%, Whitman 58%
Demographics: 36% Hispanic, 51% White
Hispanic CVAP: 23%
Safe Republican
McCarthy's district loses all of its San Luis Obispo County territory and becomes more centered around Kern and Tulare Counties. The district remains heavily Republican and is McCain's best district in California.
California's 24th Congressional District: Lois Capps (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 56%, McCain 41%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 46%, Whitman 46%
Demographics: 34% Hispanic, 57% White
Lean Democratic
Before 2002, Capps ran in a district with similar lines to the 24th and faced competitive races. In 2002, she received a safer district and won easily in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. The district's new lines though remove heavily Democratic Oxnard while adding the conservative interiors of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. I lived in Santa Barbara for a few years so I realized how Santa Barbara County seems to be a small version of California. It has beach communities, agricultural based communities, upscale liberals, county club Republicans, college liberals, heavily Hispanic communities, and conservative inland communities. Like California, Santa Barbara County has trended Democratic. Gore won by only a few points but Obama won 60% of the vote there. San Luis Obispo County in the northern part of the district has trended Democratic too. Santa Barbara County swung toward the Republicans though in 2010 because turnout in UCSB was low. If Capps wants to win in 2012, she needs to increase turnout there. Her challenger is former Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado (R) who is a moderate. Capps is a strong campaigner and has survived tough challenges in the 90s when the district was less Democratic. Being named the "nicest member of Congress" by the Washingtonian magazine does not hurt her chances either.
California's 25th Congressional District: Buck McKeon (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 49%, McCain 48%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 39%, Whitman 52%
Demographics: 8% African American, 8% Asian, 35% Hispanic, 46% White
Safe Republican
Although Lancaster and Palmdale are trending Democratic quickly, Simi Valley, Santa Clarita and McKeon's popularity will keep this district safely in the Republican column.
California's 26th Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 56%, McCain 41%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 46%, Whitman 47%
Demographics: 6% Asian, 43% Hispanic, 46% White
Hispanic CVAP: 26%
Lean Democratic
Gallegly recently announced his retirement which makes this race easier for Democrats. His district became more Democratic with the addition of Oxnard and his home of Simi Valley was placed in Buck McKeon's (R) district. There are already five Democrats running though. They include Moorpark City Councilman David Pollock (D), retired longshoreman Zeke Ruelas, Oxnard Harbor District President Jess Herrera (D), Westlake Village Businessman David Cruz (D) and Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett (D). Bennett represents Democratic leaning Ventura City as a Supervisor, is popular and well known throughout the district. Cruz and Herrera though are getting support from Hispanic groups and should win support from the district's large Hispanic population in the primary. Pollock is from Republican leaning Moorpark so if he wins the nomination, he could make inroads there. Most pundits agree though that Bennett is the frontrunner in the primary. On the Republican side, Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks (R) from Thousand Oaks has announced. Other potential candidates include State Senator Tony Strickland (R), and Moorpark City Councilman Keith Millhouse (R). Parks should do well with moderate Republicans while Strickland appeals to the district's more conservative voters.
California's 27th Congressional District: Judy Chu (D) vs. David Dreier (R)?
Presidential Data: Obama 61%, McCain 35%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 55%, Whitman 39%
Demographics: 37% Asian, 27% Hispanic, 29% White
Safe Democratic, Likely Democratic if Dreier runs
The 27th district is a combination of Chu's and Dreier's districts while representing foothill communities currently in Dreier's district and heavily Asian areas such as Monterey Park in Chu's current district. Although Dreier is moderate and popular, the 61% Obama number should be high enough to protect Chu. Also, she is a very strong campaigner and a popular incumbent.
California's 28th Congressional District: Adam Schiff (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 70%, McCain 26%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 63%, Whitman 30%
Demographics: 14% Asian, 26% Hispanic, 55% White
Safe Democratic
Schiff's district loses Pasadena and gains West Hollywood. His district remains heavily Democratic.
California's 29th Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 74%, McCain 23%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 68%, Whitman 24%
Demographics: 8% Asian, 69% Hispanic, 18% White
Safe Democratic
The commission created this new district as a Hispanic majority district in the San Fernando Valley. Although the district contains territory from both Reps. Howard Berman's (D) and Brad Sherman's (D) districts, they both decided not to run here (see California's 30th Congressional district.) The frontrunner for the 29th district is Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas (D). He has received support from important political figures such as California's Assembly Speaker John Perez (D) and Rep. Howard Berman.
California's 30th Congressional District: Howard Berman (D) vs. Brad Sherman (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 66%, McCain 31%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 57%, Whitman 36%
Demographics: 12% Asian, 27% Hispanic, 53% White
Safe Democratic
The commission combined the homes of Reps. Berman and Sherman so there will be a contentious primary in this district. Some pundits have suggested that Sherman should run in the open 26th district in Ventura County in order to avoid a possible primary loss in the 30th district. Although no polls have been released for the primary, Berman has gained many endorsements, with 23 representatives endorsing him compared to two for Sherman (Reps. Judy Chu (D) and Grace Napolitano (D).) It is unclear how many voters will be swayed by all the endorsements. This does not indicate Sherman will lose though. He received the endorsement of Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom (D), State Controller John Chiang (D) and has raised $3.7 million, more than Berman's $2.2 million but Berman is raising money quickly. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) hosted a large fundraiser for Berman recently. This primary will be very close and could attract national attention.
California's 31st Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 56%, McCain 41%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 49%, Whitman 41%
Demographics: 12% African American, 7% Asian, 49% Hispanic, 30% White
Hispanic CVAP: 35%
Lean Democratic
This district represents Republican leaning Rancho Cucamonga and Democratic leaning San Bernardino and Colton. The district as a whole leans Democratic and is trending Democratic as Hispanics continue to move into the district. Although Lewis lives in the new 31st district, he does not represent much territory in it and he may decide to either retire or run in the more conservative 8th district. Rep. Jerry Lewis (R) lives in this district but recently announced his retirement. Rep. Gary Miller (R) who represented eastern Orange County and Diamond Bar in Los Angeles County plans to run here instead. Anyway, Rep. Joe Baca (D) lives in this district but decided to run in the more Democratic 35th district so the Democratic field is open here. Two Democratic candidates, Renea Wickman (D) and Russ Warner (D) have announced plans to run. Wickman is a community activist working with youth and ran unsuccessfully in 2010 for the 63rd Assembly district. Warner is a businessman from Rancho Cucamonga who is more moderate than Wickman is, especially on issues such as immigration. This could be difficult for him in this district with a large Hispanic population. The frontrunner though is Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar (D) who recently announced his candidacy.
California's 32nd Congressional District: Grace Napolitano (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 62%, McCain 35%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 57%, Whitman 35%
Demographics: 15% Asian, 63% Hispanic, 18% White
Safe Democratic
Napolitano's district loses her home but I expect her to run here because it contains most of her current district. Dreier's home is here so he may run here but I doubt he would win in a 62% Obama district.
California's 33rd Congressional District: Henry Waxman (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 64%, McCain 33%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 55%, Whitman 40%
Demographics: 13% Asian, 11% Hispanic, 69% White
Safe Democratic
Waxman's district gains large portions of the current 36th district along the coast. It remains heavily Democratic and upscale.
California's 34th Congressional District: Xavier Beccara (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 77%, McCain 19%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 76%, Whitman 16%
Demographics: 20% Asian, 65% Hispanic, 9% White
Safe Democratic
Beccara's district does not undergo major changes. It remains heavily Hispanic and Democratic.
California's 35th Congressional District: Joe Baca (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 64%, McCain 32%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 57%, Whitman 33%
Demographics: 7% African American, 69% Hispanic, 16% White
Hispanic CVAP: 52%
Safe Democratic
This district should be too Democratic to elect a Republican representative but the Democratic primary will be close. Rep. Joe Baca (D) who represented parts of the district plans to run here and so does State Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod (D). Both representatives are popular and McLeod defeated Baca's son in her 2006 State Senate primary.
California's 36th Congressional District: Mary Bono Mack (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 50%, McCain 47%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 43%, Whitman 49%
Demographics: 47% Hispanic, 44% White
Hispanic CVAP: 27%
Lean Republican
The district voted for Obama and is trending Democratic but Bono Mack is a very popular representative and is moderate. Also, openly gay Palm Springs mayor Steve Pougent (D) has not made plans to run for the seat although he would be a strong candidate. He ran in 2010 and performed well against Bono Mack. The Democrats found a candidate to challenge Bono Mack though. Dr. Raul Ruiz (D), a physician has announced his candidacy and he is the first Hispanic candidate to challenge Bono Mack for her seat in a district with a large and fast growing Hispanic population. Bono Mack's moderate positions and popularity make her formidable though.
California's 37th Congressional District: Karen Bass (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 84%, McCain 13%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 79%, McCain 15%
Demographics: 25% African American, 9% Asian, 39% Hispanic, 24% White
African American CVAP: 34%, Hispanic CVAP, 21%
Safe Democratic
Bass retains most of her current territory and represents heavily Democratic areas with a large African American CVAP. She should be safe here.
California's 38th Congressional District: Linda Sanchez (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 61%, McCain 35%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 57%, Whitman 35%
Demographics: 14% Asian, 61% Hispanic, 19% White
Hispanic CVAP: 51%
Safe Democratic
Although this district is too Democratic to elect a Republican representative, there will be a competitive primary here. State Senator Ron Calderon (D) is challenging Sanchez here. Although Sanchez is a popular representative, she has represented only a small part of the district while she is unfamiliar with the voters in the Montebello area where Calderon lives. She needs to introduce herself to voters in that area. I expect she will receive support from other congressional representatives though so she may win.
California's 39th Congressional District: Ed Royce (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 47%, McCain 49%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 38%, Whitman 54%
Demographics: 29% Asian, 33% Hispanic, 34% White
Safe Republican
Although this district may be trending Democratic because Democratic voters are moving into it, this district remains Republican at a local level. Reps. Miller and Royce were both drawn into the district but Miller decided to run in CA-31 instead so Royce has the field to himself.
California's 40th Congressional District: Lucille Roybal Allard (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 77%, McCain 19%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 73%, Whitman 19%
Demographics: 6% African American, 86% Hispanic, 5% White
Hispanic CVAP: 73%
Safe Democratic
Allard's district becomes the most heavily Hispanic district in the country with an 86% Hispanic population. It also remains heavily Democratic.
California's 41st Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 59%, McCain 38%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 52%, Whitman 40%
Demographics: 10% African American, 6% Asian, 56% Hispanic, 26% White
Hispanic CVAP: 37%
Likely Democratic
The commission created this new Hispanic majority district combining communities of interest in northern Riverside County. The district also voted for Obama and Brown by double digit margins so Democrats have an advantage here. The Democrat running is openly gay Riverside Community College School Board Member Mark Takano (D). Takano ran for this seat under similar lines in 1992 and lost by 550 votes when the area was less Democratic. Riverside County Supervisor John Taviglione (R) who represents most of the district is challenging Takano. Although Taviglione is popular and well known, the 59% Obama number in this Democratic trending district and Takano's campaign skills may be too high for him to overcome.
California's 42nd Congressional District: Ken Calvert (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 43%, McCain 54%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 35%, Whitman 56%
Demographics: 9% Asian, 36% Hispanic, 47% White
Safe Republican
In 2008, Calvert faced a tough race not only because of his ethics problems but also because the district was trending Democratic quickly and voted for Obama. In this new map though, Calvert is much safer by losing Democratic Riverside and gaining more Republican parts of Riverside County.
California's 43rd Congressional District: Maxine Waters (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 75%, McCain 22%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 69%, Whitman 24%
Demographics: 24% African American, 12% Asian, 46% Hispanic, 15% White
African American CVAP 33%, Hispanic CVAP 29%
Safe Democratic
Waters's district remains heavily Democratic but the Hispanic CVAP is increasing and is almost as high as the African American CVAP. This creates the possibility of a Hispanic candidate challenging Waters in the primary and winning due to support from Hispanics. Waters's ethics problems though create an even larger opening for a primary challenger too.
California's 44th Congressional District: Laura Richardson (D) vs. Janice Hahn (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 81%, McCain 15%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 77%, Whitman 15%
Demographics: 17% African American, 68% Hispanic, 7% White
African American CVAP 28%, Hispanic CVAP 49%
Safe Democratic
This district will see a tight primary race for the Democrats. Only a small portion of Hahn's district is in the new 44th but Hahn has a strong shot at winning not only because she is popular with the district's many working class voters but also because Richardson has ethics problems. Hahn is a former city councilmember from Los Angeles and represented large portions of the district in the city council. A poll showed her leading Richardson 47-26 but the poll was conducted in August so it may be outdated.
California's 45th Congressional District: John Campbell (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 46%, McCain 51%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 34%, Whitman 59%
Demographics: 21% Asian, 18% Hispanic, 56% White
Safe Republican
Campbell's district loses territory on the Orange County coast and gains more conservative towns inland such as Lake Forest. Although Irvine is Democratic leaning, the rest of the district leans Republican and should keep this district strongly in the Republican column.
California's 46th Congressional District: Loretta Sanchez (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 58%, McCain 39%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 50%, Whitman 40%
Demographics: 12% Asian, 67% Hispanic, 18% White
Safe Democratic
Sanchez's district remains similar to its current form; heavily Hispanic and Democratic.
California's 47th Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 58%, McCain 39%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 50%, Whitman 42%
Demographics: 8% African American, 21% Asian, 34% Hispanic, 34% White
Likely Democratic
State Senator Alan Lowenthal (D) is facing Long Beach City Councilmember Gary DeLong (R) in this district combining the city of Long Beach with some Orange County communities such as Garden Grove. As of last October though, DeLong had outraised Lowenthal but the district has a large Democratic base and if Obama motivates the Democratic base, Lowenthal should receive a large boost and be able to win.
California's 48th Congressional District: Dana Rohrabacher (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 46%, McCain 51%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 35%, Whitman 58%
Demographics: 17% Asian, 20% Hispanic, 59% White
Safe Republican
Rohrabacher's district loses the entire Los Angeles County portion and gains more of the Orange County coast. It remains Republican and safe for him.
California's 49th Congressional District: Darrell Issa (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 49%, McCain 47%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 37%, Whitman 55%
Demographics: 7% Asian, 26% Hispanic, 62% White
Safe Republican
Issa's district becomes more Democratic by gaining Carlsbad and Del Mar which were formerly in Bilbray's district. Issa's district still remains safe for him but if Democratic trends continue and Issa retires, this district could become competitive. Bilbray faced competitive races in 2006 and 2008 in a district with similar territory.
California's 50th Congressional District: Duncan Hunter (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 39%, McCain 58%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 30%, Whitman 66%
Demographics: 30% Hispanic, 59% White
Safe Republican
Hunter should be safe in this district representing inland San Diego County. It was Whitman's best district in California and McCain's best district south of Bakersfield.
California's 51st Congressional District: Open
Presidential Data: Obama 65%, McCain 32%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 58%, Whitman 31%
Demographics: 7% African American, 8% Asian, 68% Hispanic, 14% White
Safe Democratic
Rep. Bob Filner (D) represented most of this district in Congress but the seat is open because he plans to run for mayor. State Sen. Juan Vargas (D) is running to replace him. Vargas has an advantage because he is well known in the San Diego portion of the district and his State Senate district covers almost the entire new 51st district. Denise Duchney (D), a former State Senator from Vargas's district is running too so there will be a competitive primary for this seat that should vote Democratic in the general election.
California's 52nd Congressional District: Brian Bilbray (R)
Presidential Data: Obama 55%, McCain 43%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 43%, Whitman 50%
Demographics: 18% Asian, 13% Hispanic, 62% White
Tossup
Bilbray's district still represents northern San Diego City but the district suddenly jumps from 50% Obama to 55% Obama. He now faces three strong Democratic challengers: Assemblywoman Lori Saldana (D), businessman Bob Nascenzi (D) and Port of San Diego Commission Chairman Scott Peters (D). Most pundits believe that Saldana and Peters will be the Democratic frontrunners for the seat. Bilbray though has fended off difficult challenges for the seat in 2006 and 2008 but the new district is more Democratic so he should worry.
California's 53rd Congressional District: Susan Davis (D)
Presidential Data: Obama 61%, McCain 36%
Gubernatorial Data: Brown 52%, Whitman 40%
Demographics: 8% African American, 13% Asian, 32% Hispanic, 43% White
Safe Democratic
Davis’s district becomes less Democratic as it gains some San Diego suburbs. The 61% Obama number though should keep her safe.
10 comments:
I spotted a few typo type errors. A sentence about Jerry Lewis somehow migrated from the block of text about the 31st District to the block of text about the 8th District. And Elton Gallegy might run against Jack McKeon in one blurb, and is retiring in another.
I don't know why the Commission chose to scramble the district numbers. I preferred named legislative districts, as is the practice in most other countries, but if you are going to the number the districts its better to try to maintain continuity, as is done in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Ohio. That way it is easier to compare district across election cycles. Since California kept the same number of districts as it had last census, there was no reason not to maintain continuity with numbers.
Thanks for catching those, I just fixed them. Also, I think the reason they chose to change the district numbers was that they wanted to give the districts a north to south numbering.
Daily Kos elections posted a helpful table, mainly to show who is running where, which can be used to get some sort of cross-tabulation with the new numbering scheme and the old numbering scheme. Here is the link:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/16/1054487/-Daily-Kos-Elections-California-cheat-sheet?detail=hide
I've only gotten through the first eight districts, but I just realized that the Commission created a district whose center of population is north of San Bernardino, and which contains 62% of the former CD 41, but renumbered it "CD 8". Hence the confusion over Jerry Lewis, because CD 8 is in fact the successor of Lewis' old CD 41, and not Nancy Pelosi's district as you would expect. The reasoning seems to be that low population Mono County was thrown in so the district could make population. This is fine in itself, a district straddling northern California and southern California is unavoidable and the best, or least bad, way to do it from a community of interest standpoint is to attach some of the remote Sierras county with remote Los Angeles exurbs in the Mohave Desert. But under the commission's inane numbering scheme, this is evidently a northern California district despite having a center of population well into southern California.
If I have time, I will come back and post some sort of a concordance between the new numbering and the old numbering here, plus what the district should have been named if the commission had broken precedent and used named districts. The Daily Kos table is excellent, but more focused on keeping track of the candidates.
A concordance is tricky, for example the district blended together the old CD 1 and CD 6 and chopped them up into what they numbered CD 2 and CD 5. A majority of the old CD 6 wound up in CD 2, but CD 1 has been so chopped that there is no clear successor, the coastal CD 2 is probably the last bad successor to the old CD 1. The old CD 6 is split 54% to 40% between CD 2 and CD 5. On the other hand, the CD 1 incumbent is running in CD 5, where he lives. So any attempt at a concordance here will have problems.
I actually think the Commission did a good job on the whole, but the numbering scheme the used was ridiculous, and there were instances where the 2002 gerrymander, which wasn't as bad a gerrymander as it has been usually portrayed, was better from a community of instance standpoint. There is also the issue that the Commission's scheme will probably help the Democrats more electorally than the old Democratic gerrymander it replaced.
This is the concordance between the new California district numbers and the old California district numbers mentioned in the previous post. The districts are listed in the order of 2012 district, 2002 district, percent of the new district that was derived from the previous district, proposed name if the commission had gone that route, then political leaning.
Keep in mind that if California had been several states, the Bay Area and Los Angeles County would each have lost a district, and the Central Valley and the Inland Empire would have gained a district. The northern California shift was accomplished by moving more of CA 11 (now CA 9) into the Central Valley, but the commission scrambled the southern California districts pretty thoroughly.
I’m also breaking this into two parts due to space limitations. Northern and Central California:
CA 1 = old CA 2 (65%) Northern Sierras (safe GOP)
CA 2 = old CA 1 (44%) Redwood Coast (safe Dem)
54% of this district was actually in CA 6, but there is no good corresponding district with the old CA 1, and this district essentially serves the same function of taking in the coast of northern California. Arguably it should be named the “Northern California Coast” but I thought that was sort of clunky.
CA 3 = old CA 10 (23%) Sacramento Valley (lean Dem)
The former CA 10 was chopped up enough that there is no obvious new corresponding district.
CA 4 = old CA 4 (71%) Central Sierras (safe GOP)
CA 5 = old CA 6 (40%) Napa Valley (safe Dem) see comments on CA 2
CA 6 = old CA 5 (81%) Sacramento (safe Dem)
CA 7 = old CA 3 (77%) American River (swing, potential Dem gain)
CA 8 = old CA 41 (!) (62%) Mojave Desert (safe GOP)
CA 9 = old CA 11 (50%) Lower San Jaoquin Valley (lean Dem)
CA 10 = old CA 19 (38%) Central San Jaoquin Valley (lean GOP)
CA 11 = old CA 7 (46%) San Pablo Bay (safe Dem)
Arguably this corresponds to the old CA 10, but that leaves the question of which district is the current version of CA 7. Both got scrambled.
CA 12 = old CA 8 (86%) San Francisco (safe Dem)
CA 13 = old CA 9 (77%) Oakland (safe Dem)
CA 14 = old CA 12 (77%) San Mateo (safe Dem)
CA 15 = old CA 13 (47%) San Leandro Bay (safe Dem)
CA 16 = old CA 18 (37%) Upper San Jaoquin Valley (lean Dem)
CA 17 = old CA 15 (50%) Fremont and Sunnyvale (safe Dem)
CA 18 = old CA 14 (56%) Santa Clara Hills (safe Dem)
CA 19 = old CA 16 (84%) San Jose (safe Dem)
CA 20 = old CA 17 (94%) Monterrey Bay (safe Dem)
CA 21 = old CA 20 (79%) Central California (lean Dem)
The Commission preserved here a racial gerrymander from previous redistrictings, which also impacts CAs 22 and 23. There seems to be no good way to name it.
CA 22 = old CA 21 (77%) Visalia and Tulare (safe GOP)
CA 23 = old CA 22 (81%) Kern (safe GOP)
CA 24 = old CA 23 (64%) Big Sur (lean Dem)
Continuing with Los Angeles and parts south:
CA 25 = old CA 25 (77%) Santa Clarita Valley (safe GOP)
CA 26 = old CA 24 (64%) Oxnard and Thousand Oaks (swing, potential Dem gain)
CA 27 = old CA 26 (32%) San Gabriel Mountains (safe Dem, likely Dem gain)
54% of the district is in the old CA 29, but this is the only halfway decent match for the old CA 26, which was chopped largely due to Los Angeles County losing a district.
CA 28 = old CA 29 (37%) Glendale and Burbank (safe Dem)
See comment on CA 27.
CA 29 = old CA 28 (71%) Northeast Los Angeles (safe Dem)
CA 30 = old CA 27 (58%) Northwest Los Angeles (safe Dem)
CA 31 = old CA 43 (44%) San Bernardino and Redlands (lean Dem)
This is essentially a new district, more of the old CA 43 wound up in the new CA 35, but the center of the old CA 43 is in the new CA 31 and its still the closest match.
CA 32 = old CA 32 (64%) San Gabriel Valley (safe Dem)
CA 33 = old CA 30 (50%) Santa Monica Bay (safe Dem)
CA 34 = old CA 31 (51%) East Central Los Angeles (safe Dem)
CA 35 = old CA 38 (21%) Fontana, Ontario, and Pomona (safe Dem)
The old CA 38 was parcelled out in bits to several of the new districts.
CA 36 = old CA 45 (75%) Palm Desert (leans GOP)
CA 37 = old CA 33 (63%) South Central Los Angeles (safe Dem)
CA 38 = old CA 39 (49%) Norwalk, Whittier, and Lakewood (safe Dem)
CA 39 = old CA 40 (31%) South Central California (safe GOP)
This is another case of an old district being chopped apart, so I had to pick some new district with which to associate it. This means the old CA 42, which is a better match for this district, gets associate with the new CA 45, and that the old CA 48, a southern Orange county district, gets pushed down the coast and becomes the current CA 49.
CA 40 = old CA 34 (56%) East Los Angeles and Downey (safe Dem)
CA 41 = old CA 44 (60%) Riverside and Moreno Valley (lean Dem, potential Dem gain)
CA 42 = old CA 49 (30%) Temescale Valley (safe GOP)
CA 43 = old CA 35 (72%) Torrance, Inglewood, and Hawthorne (safe Dem)
CA 44 = old CA 36 (16%) Port Los Angeles (safe Dem)
The old CA 36 got chopped up probably more than any other district. None of the new districts draws more than 25% of their territory from that district. The old CA 37 is a better match for the new CA 44, but the new CA 47 is a better match for the old CA 37.
CA 45 = old CA 42 (26%) Irvine, Orange, and Mission Viejo (safe GOP)
See comment on CA 39
CA 46 = old CA 47 (69%) Anaheim and Santa Ana (leans Dem)
CA 47 = old CA 37 (43%) Long Beach and Garden Grove (leans Dem)
CA 48 = old CA 46 (61%) Orange Beaches (safe GOP)
CA 49 = old CA 48 (10% ?) Oceanside and Carlsbad (safe GOP)
See comment on CA 40
CA 50 = old CA 52 (39%) Anzo-Borrego (safe GOP)
CA 51 = old CA 51 (77%) Salton Sea (safe Dem)
CA 52 = old CA 50 (40%) North San Diego (swing, potential Dem gain)
CA 53 = old CA 53 (37%) South San Diego (safe Dem)
This accounting underscores how favorable this map turned out to be for the Democrats. While some Democratic incumbents were weakened and others are likely to lose to challenger in the Democratic primary, five Republican districts on the old map, the 3rd, 24th, 26th, 44th, and 50th congressional districts, were turned into swing districts or in one case a strongly leaning Democratic district.
That the Democrats have improved prospects on an independent commission drawn map, as opposed to the early map drawn by Democratic legislatures and approved by a Democratic governor, underscores the extent to which the purpose of gerrymandering is more incumbent protection than partisan advantage. It also indicates that the Democrats may have gamed the commission as Republicans charged, parts of this map look like the sort of “gerrymander with clean lines” you sometimes see in other states. That said, the old map was noted at the time as a fairly mild gerrymander as these things go.
One thing I had not realized until I looked closely at the district maps, is that the Commission had combined Long Beach with Garden Grove. I nominate this as the worst decision of the Commission.
Long Beach and Garden Grove are in two separate counties (though the Commission seems to have made no attempt to respect county lines in southern California), have different demographics, and I'm not even sure if there is a transit link between them.
Long Beach is most naturally linked with the various smaller incorporated cities actually adjacent to Long Beach, but you can make a case for putting it with San Pedro and Palos Verdes, or if you have to extend into Orange County for following the coast to the south. The only thing combining Long Beach and Garden Grove accomplishes is to ensure that the numerous Republicans in northwestern Orange County are outvoted by the Democrats of Long Beach.
By doing this, the Commission scrambled at least two districts, the former 37th and the former 46th, though the 36th is also impacted, making establishing which 2012 southern California districts correspond with which 2002 southern California districts difficult.
Thanks alot for helping connect the new districts and the ones drawn in 2002.
Also, the commission did scramble up the lines near Long Beach. I expected a seat similar the old CA-36 for the coastal areas south of Santa Monica but they placed those into Henry Waxman's district while giving Janice Hahn the 44th district which may be difficult for her to hold but she has a strong shot because she is familiar with the voters there,
The Florida state legislature also screwed up, or created discontinuities with, the numbering of their districts, but based on the Daily Kos analysis there is some differences with the California situation.
First, the legislature actually passed a "least change" map, based on the old lines but with two new districts (numbered the 9th and the 17th) added in Central Florida. So its annoying, but not difficult, to put together a concordance between the 2001 and 2011 districts, in contrast to California where the commission mashed several districts together than broke them apart.
Second, because its a "least change" map based on a previous Republican (and fairly successful) gerrymander, the map is vulnerable to the lawsuit filed under the Fair Districting law passed by the voters, if the courts decide to enforce it. So the lines are by no means finalized.
When we get the final lines in a few months, I will post another concordance in one of the Florida related posts, assuming the numbering remains scrambled.
CSUN HOSTS DEBATE
The debate—featuring Democratic Congressmen Howard Berman and Brad Sherman, and Republicans Mark Reed and Susan Shelly—is scheduled to take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 30, in the Valley Performing Arts Center on the south side of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge
I wish you followed Canadian politics. You'd probably have great insights that you could share with us.
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