Piedmont Lands in New Legislative Districts

Come 2012, Piedmont will be in a new state Assembly district with new representation. The state Senate and Congressional districts where Piedmont sits are also shifting, but the city's representation in those legislative bodies will likely remain the same after the next election.

Monday, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission approved maps setting new voting districts for the coming decade.

Piedmont will be moving out of the 16th State Assembly district, where the city is currently represented by Assemblyman Sandré Swanson (D-Oakland), and into the new 15th district that stretches from Piedmont to Berkeley to Hercules, including only a small part of Oakland. Much of the area is currently represented in the 14th Assembly District by Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), who will be up for reelection in 2012.

Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), who is also up for reelection next year, could well continue serving as Piedmont's state Senator. Piedmont will be in a state Senate district with Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and San Pablo, which are all currently in Hancock's territory, though several other Alameda County communities are being dropped from the 9th District as it pushes further north into Contra Costa County.

Most of the territory now bound by Congresswoman Barbara Lee's 9th District will become the new 13th District, adding Alameda and excluding four unincorporated communities to the south. If she is reelected, Lee (D-Oakland), will continue to be Piedmont's representative in Washington.