Redistricting Creates Changes in the Political Landscape

The census required by the U.S. Constitution every ten years is used to reallocate elected representatives to match population changes. The Constitutional basis is to make sure that the representatives in Congress and state offices adhere to what has been more recently termed "one person, one vote" so that no area has more or fewer representatives than its population would dictate.

California has a new system of redrawing political boundaries lines with an initiative-created 15-person citizens' commission. In prior years the legislature did the redrawing with predictable political overtones.

The state senate districts in our area changed significantly, with San Francisco reduced to only one senate seat. Senator Leland Yee's seat was assigned to the area of eastern Sierra near Mono Lake. The senate district's current number, #8, an even number slated for an election in 2014, was changed to #13, an odd number, which along with all other odd numbers is up for election in 2012. So two years prior to the anticipated date, a race is underway between Assemblyman Jerry Hill and former Assemblywoman Sally Lieber. Likewise, Jerry Hill's Assembly seat, now renumbered as #22, is up for election in 2012.

Interestingly, Senator Yee is entitled to complete his four-year, second term in the senate and will continued to live in San Francisco, but no longer represent anyone in San Francisco or San Mateo counties. He will likely focus on statewide issues from his Sacramento office.

Lastly, Assembly District #22 will represent only about one-half of South San Francisco downward to include Redwood City. The northern portions of our city will be represented along with other north Peninsula cities and the south-westernly portions of San Francisco by the newly renumbered District #19.

Added to those changes are the open primary and top two finishers, subjects for the next post.