Final map moves Mother Lode into new House district
Final maps released this week by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission split up the congressional district that Tuolumne and Calaveras counties have been a part of since the 2012 elections and raises questions about who will be running to represent the area next year.
Tuolumne and Calaveras counties are currently in the state’s 4th Congressional District that has been represented by Congressman Tom McClintock since the lines were drawn, but both will now become part of the new 5th Congressional District.
The 4th Congressional District is currently one of the state’s physically largest and stretches from Lake Tahoe south to the Sequoia National Forest, encompassing all of Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mariposa and Tuolumne counties, as well as most of Placer County and portions of Fresno, Madera, and Nevada counties.
The new 5th Congressional District has a physically smaller footprint from the western corner of El Dorado County to the northeastern corner of Fresno County, encompassing all of Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, and Mariposa, most of Madera, and an eastern portion of Stanislaus counties.
Other parts of the 4th Congressional District represented by McClintock are included in the newly drawn 3rd District that includes all of Placer, Plumas, Sierra, Nevada, Alpine and Mono counties, as well as portions of El Dorado, Yuba and Sacramento counties.
Mcclintock, a Republican, has resided outside the current 4th District at his home in Elk Grove throughout his tenure. He’s currently looking at the new 3rd and 5th districts and hasn’t yet decided where he will run, according to Jon Huey, his campaign spokesman.
Dr. Kermit Jones, a Democrat and Navy veteran who previously declared he would challenge Mcclintock in next year’s election, announced Wednesday morning that
he will now be running in the 3rd District.
“When I started this campaign, it was because I knew the people of Northern California weren’t getting what they deserve,” Jones said in a news release. “They pay too much for health care, the economy is not working for everyone, and their homes and communities are under threat from fires and drought. They need an advocate who will fight for them, and that’s what I’ll do in Congress.”