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By GUY KOVNER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Major changes to the two North Coast congressional districts are included in the first set of maps, called “visualizations,” released this week by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission.
The maps depict a coastal district running from the Golden Gate Bridge to Del Norte County, encompassing the entire North Coast, including part of Sonoma County.
Santa Rosa, however, appears to lie in a newly shaped inland district that includes Napa, Lake, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter, Yuba and part of Yolo counties.
Commissioner Stan Forbes, a bookstore owner from Esparto in Yolo County, said it was “sort of an agricultural district.”
The maps are not detailed, and include neither city names nor district numbers.
They are, however, a preview of the official first draft of redistricting maps due for release on June 10, especially as they depict Northern California districts.
“I don’t think there are going to be major changes (in the north),” Forbes said.
He declined to discuss details of the map boundaries.
The inland district includes Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson’s home and political base in Napa County, but cuts him off from the coastal region he has represented in Congress since 1998 and puts Santa Rosa in his territory.
Thompson would likely do well in the inland district since he is a moderate Democrat, familiar with the issues in rural areas, said David McCuan, a Sonoma State University political scientist.
“It’s not a big step,” McCuan said.
Gone from the new maps is the compact Sonoma-Marin district that has been Petaluma Democrat Rep. Lynn Woolsey’s turf since 1992.
Woolsey’s potential retirement in 2012, when the new districts will debut, may have provided “political cover” for revamping her territory, which currently includes Santa Rosa.
Neither Woolsey nor Thompson could be reached for comment on Friday.
Political considerations, including protection of incumbents, are supposed to be off the table as the citizens commission — established by voter-approved ballot measures — takes over the redistricting chore previously controlled by the politicians whose careers depend on it.
Nonetheless, the visualizations set political juices flowing. Assemblyman Jared Huffman, a San Rafael Democrat, said he feels “like a perfect fit” for the coastal congressional district.
The district is “certainly more rural” than the Sonoma-Marin region, but it is “still a very solidly Democratic district,” Huffman said.
Huffman, who is termed out of the Assembly in 2012, and Norman Solomon, a Marin County writer and political activist, have said they will run for Woolsey’s congressional seat if she retires. Woolsey is expected to announce her plans sometime this month.
The coastal district “is a great setup for Jared,” McCuan said.
For any Santa Rosa-based politicians eyeing a run for Congress, the new districts pose a formidable obstacle, McCuan said.
They would have to move from Santa Rosa to get into the coastal district or presumably challenge Thompson in the inland district, he said.
Change is also in store for the state legislative districts represented by two Santa Rosa Democrats, Sen. Noreen Evans and Assemblyman Michael Allen.
Evans’ district would gain Del Norte County and lose Trinity County up north, while taking in a little more of Sonoma County and apparently losing a portion of Solano County in the southeast corner.
An aide said Evans was withholding comment until the draft maps come out next week.
Allen’s district would continue to cover Napa County, but appears to lose a slice of Solano County and clearly picks up more of Sonoma County and all of Lake County.
Allen declined to comment, saying the lines will likely change.
“It’s all speculation at this point,” he said.
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Take a look at the maps below — you can click on them to view bigger versions — and let us know what you think about the proposal. What changes, if any, should be made to the final maps?
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It sure would be nice if this stuff was reported accurately. Trinity County never was in the 2nd Senate District so no, Evans will not be “losing Trinity County.” And no mention of the 1st AD which – according to these “visualizations” – would represent the majority of Sonoma County if it holds. Also just for the record Del Norte was in the 2nd SD prior to the last reapportionment in 2002. This would actually be putting it back where it originally was.
This has been an amazing process to watch and quite the learning experience. For months, myself and a few others I know have been watching the Commission & public hearings. We listened to “experts” on the redistricting process at various events.
Those who streamed and attended the Commission Meetings have the same out look as I do….this is an extreme task these people have before them and as I watch this process, it’s clear these individuals do represent all Californians and are not political in their decision making. I would have preferred something other than the map presented, but knowing the deliberation that went into each decision they made, the consideration they gave to each testimony brought before them,(individual and group testimony)and making sure each guideline was followed….they continue to do a great job!
Just a note: I can not stress enough, just how important it is to get your information first hand, be open to all who offer information and NEVER believe everything you hear from your “reliable sources” or “expert” speakers. As I listened to some “experts” it was amazing how much inaccurate information they gave to their audience and even more amazing is how many in their audiences believe the information given and do absolutely no research for themselves….and then pass it to their email lists.
This was clear during the Santa Rosa Redistricting Meeting as speaker after speaker who went before the board were clueless to the requirements needed to state their case and the individuals representing political groups (SEIU) or Government officials who went before the board believing their status would make a difference, (They can not make any decisions based upon political views or agendas) or those who who would give false information so they could get their lines drawn for political reasons. I would bet very few of these people streamed ONE hearing….and relied on the information they got from the “EXPERTS”, groups they are members of and recycled emails. HELLO PEOPLE! If you are so concerned about your communities, cities, state and Nation, why do you still nap? Question BOLDLY and educate yourselves! Being gullible and lazy is not power….it’s more of the same behavior that got us into this mess we’re in.
But I am pleased with the comments I read so far…it looks like ya’ll realize the hard job the commission has taken on and props are given to them! Right on! Let’s just hope the final lines drawn will make a difference throughout California!
First off, the maps are tentative, and secondly the borders are a bit vague. However, anything that disconnects Sonoma (and Marin) from SF is to be commended. However, we will see June 10th when the (semi) official maps come out. The clue that the commission did the right thing will be the level of the howls of anguish from the political vermin.
Wonder why Woolsey gives a hoot, she’s retiring and pretty much irrelevent at this point.
Far as I’m concerned ANYTHING will be an improvement (may not be perfect, but an improvement none the less) of loosing the influence of San Francisco. KUDOS to the commission!
The Commission must be doing something right, Woolsey is already protesting the decision on her district. She is asking residents to call the commissioners to tell them they have written her off.
Well, I say more power to the Commission.
I wonder if putting Santa Rosa in with all rural districts is an attempt to give conservative Democrats more power, and take away momentum from the progressives.
The state senate district is nice and neat within county lines. The assemby and congressional districts do divide Sonoma County, but I think they are reasonable divisions as the commission seems to be working to keep as much of the CA coast north of SF together and to form districts that resemble each other within the required population constraints. To keep the north coast as intact as possible, the congressional district necessarily has to put a large eastern section of Sonoma county (including Santa Rosa, I believe)in with Napa, Lake, Colusa, etc. As for upper CA (Siskiyou, Modoc, etc.), the commission seems to be listening to the folks there who didn’t want a three-way vertical split. This should help the people up there get more effective representation. These aren’t my ideal districts but they are ones I can live with. The commission deserves praise for these maps.
This could be positive. It appears that Sonoma County has been attached to the north coast, and separated from San Francisco.
All of the money and influence base has been in the city, so how much real attention have we been getting, especially in the state Senate from thoroughly SF-centric Mark Leno?
Sadly, we’re still stuck to Marin for the Congressional district, but at least we’re not stuck with any part of SF there.