Redistricting dilemma
The California Redistricting Commission will soon have to make adjustments to legislative districts after the U.S. Census Bureau officially releases results of the decennial national headcount.
The problem, as a recent report by the Public Policy Institute of California notes, is that the Census Bureau was required to release the state population totals on Dec. 31 so that the data could be submitted for redesign of legislative districts on April 1. According to the institute, total state numbers will not be available until the second half of April, and redistricting data is expected by the end of September, creating serious concerns for California’s elections.
Under normal circumstances, the state’s independent redistricting commission should unveil the preliminary maps of the new electoral boundaries before July 1 this year and finalize the maps before Aug. 15. Neither deadline can be met by the commission given the delay. Following the 2010 census, the commission received the data on March 8, 2011.
Last summer, the California Supreme Court used its emergency powers to order an extension that will be adjusted as necessary. Currently, the commission has until New Year’s Day 2022 to produce the preliminary maps and Valentine’s Day for the final maps.
The funny thing is that, according to the PPIC, candidates must submit their applications about three months before the primaries and need time to decide if their campaigns can be successful. To do this, candidates need to know how the districts are drawn. Therefore, districts should be redrawn at least three months before the primaries and, realistically, much earlier.
California’s 2022 primary election was originally set for early March, with a nomination deadline in December.
The PPIC states that due to the revised timeline for redesigning the districts, the legislature delayed the primaries until early June. But it will still be difficult, as candidates will have about a month to evaluate and discuss their plans.
Regardless of whether or not the agencies comply with the established and necessary times, at the Imperial Valley level there are two options. Either the commission keeps us glued to San Diego or once and for all links us to the Coachella Valley, with whom we have more in common than the coast.
We currently our share a congressman and state senator with San Diego County, and many would contend we haven’t had much to show for it. Even though the territory Congressman Juan Vargas and California Senator Ben Hueso represent in Imperial County dwarfs the areas they serve in San Diego, we are no match for the western county’s voting power.
We share our state Assembly representative with the southern part Coachella Valley, and that’s worked out more equitably for us, as former Coachella Mayor Eduardo García makes frequent appearances in Imperial County and has supported or sponsored several pieces of legislation that ostensibly would benefit voters in this region.
But even García has to balance his loyalties between the interests of his home county and those of the Imperial Valley. In order to have real representation, both in Sacramento and in Washington, we need a representative who comes from our own land. The only way to do this is get a significantly bigger population, which would take years, if does happen. In the meantime, we will continue to rely on outside representation in the federal and state legislatures.
There is a remote possibility Imperial County will be redistricted with Coachella for both Congress and the state Senate. This at least would mean being represented in Washington by someone who has stood out for defending his people in Congress, Dr. Raúl Ruiz. I believe, with no intention of offending anyone, Imperial Valley would have a much better representation from the doctor. We’ll see.