County Has 10 Options for a Redistrict Map : Politics: A grass-roots coalition offers supervisors the newest plan, which supporters say will enhance chances for electing two minority candidates.

A grass-roots coalition of community groups Friday unveiled a new political map showing redrawn county supervisorial districts that supporters say will better the chances of getting two minority candidates elected.

According to proponents, the 1st and 4th District boundaries were redrawn to enhance the election chances for black, Latino or Asian candidates.

The existing Board of Supervisors includes one minority member, Supervisor Leon Williams, who is black. Lou Conde was the last Latino elected to the board, in 1973, and was the fourth Latino supervisor since the 19th Century.

Coalition spokesman Al Ducheny said the 1st District was reshaped to include most South Bay communities, where Latinos make up from 45% to 50% of the population. Coronado was excluded from the district.

The 1st District’s northern boundary would meander north to San Diego to include the heavily Latino communities of Logan Heights, Sherman Heights and downtown, according to the proposal.

The 1st District representative is now Brian Bilbray. Its boundary now stretches as far east as Bonita, but much of the district hugs the coastline from Imperial Beach north to Ocean Beach. Bilbray’s hometown, Imperial Beach, would remain in the district under the coalition’s plan. Bilbray could not be reached for comment.

The 4th District, which is now represented by Williams, would be altered radically under the coalition’s plan to make Asian residents the dominant minority. Williams’ home would remain in the district.

Asians would make up 17% of the district population, with blacks at 13% and Latinos 15%. The district’s boundary would stretch from Rancho Penasquitos south to Mira Mesa, Kearny Mesa, Linda Vista, and east to San Carlos, East San Diego, Southeast San Diego and south to Paradise Hills.

Williams declined to comment on the plan, saying that he has not had a chance to review it.

“We think it does justice to the communities,” said attorney Denise Moreno Ducheny, a member of the coalition and Al Ducheny’s wife.

The Duchenys and other coalition members boasted that their proposal creates two districts where minority candidates can be elected.

However, this was promptly contested by attorney Michael Aguirre, who represents the Chicano Federation.

“The mathematics don’t justify two (minority) districts. . . . Our proposal is that you have one minority district,” he said. “The idea is, would you rather have one minority district for sure and maybe two later. Or would you rather maybe have two minority districts and none for sure.”

The federation has presented the supervisors with its own redistricting plan and has threatened to sue the county under the federal Voting Rights Act unless supervisors strengthen Latino electoral power by carving out a Latino district.

The Chicano Federation’s plan carves out a minority district from much of the area now within the 4th District. The group has proposed combining the San Diego City Council’s 4th and 8th council districts, with National City to form a new minority district.

County spokesman Bob Lerner said the coalition’s reapportionment plan presented Friday to County Chief Administrative Officer Norman Hickey is the 10th such plan submitted by community groups.

“The board will see this and several other maps on Sept. 10,” Lerner said.

The county is required to redraw district boundaries every 10 years, after the census. Each supervisorial district has a population of about 500,000.

Hickey’s staff has proposed six different redistricting plans, all of which have been rejected by minority groups. County officials have to approve new supervisorial districts by October. However, most observers say that the issue will probably have to be settled in court.