"There should be quite a game of musical chairs within the Republican congressional delegation, and the winner could be the Republican legislators and local elected officials looking to move up.
The rules for the redistricting commission are clear: follow the Voting Rights Act, create districts that follow city and county lines, keep them geographically compact, preserve communities of interest, and pay no mind to the incumbents or party registration. These traditional redistricting practices are neutral to outcome, but when you look at Republican congressional members, several are drawing slim.
Starting with the most overpopulated district in the state, Mary Bono Mack has a congressional seat that is safe Republican and cut in a way that maximizes its non-Latino population. Presuming the commission keeps the Inland Empire as intact as possible, her new seat would go from Palm Springs down to the Mexican border. Now married to a Florida congressman, and caught in a tabloid scandal, would she be interested in an extremely tough re-election in a 58% Latino seat with 1-point Democratic advantage? Republicans in DC think not. "
WILL REDISTRICTING WREAK HAVOC ON CA GOP CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION?
FlashReport:
