Redistricting in Los Angeles County

The California Supreme Court has approved final new Assembly, Senate and congressional districts based on the work of a panel of retired judges. The issue went to the court after Gov. Pete Wilson vetoed reapportionment plans prepared by majority Democrats in the state Legislature.

Los Angeles County will lose representation in both houses of the Legislature this year because there was larger relative growth in suburban areas surrounding Los Angeles County. The number of seats in the Legislature remains constant.

Under the plan, Latinos will have an opportunity to increase representation in both Sacramento and Washington.

Each of the 40 State Senate districts in California is comprised of two Assembly districts.

With California’s population growth in the 1980s, the state’s delegation in the U.S. House increases from 45 to 52, including 17 from districts that are wholly or partly in Los Angeles County.

In the Assembly:

* Three west Los Angeles districts that historically have been represented by Democrats have been collapsed into two, the new 41st and 42nd.

* A fourth district located just west of downtown Los Angeles, the 45th, is 63% Latino.

* In South Central Los Angeles and the South Bay, the homes of incumbent Democrats Willard Murray, Richard E. Floyd and Dave Elder were located in two districts, the 52nd and 55th. Murray has declared he will run in the 52nd. Floyd and Elder will compete against each other in the 55th.

* There is no incumbent in the neighboring 53rd District, which is drawn so it would produce a competitive race between a Democrat and Republican.

In the Senate: * Most of the territory that had spanned two Westside Senate districts has been drawn into one, the new 23rd. This leaves Senate President pro tem David A. Roberti, a Democrat, with the choice of running against one of two fellow incumbents, Democrat Herschel Rosenthal and Republican Newton Russell. Instead, Roberti has said he’s inclined to run for the 20th District seat left vacant by Democrat Alan Robbins’ resignation shortly before pleading guilty to federal corruption charges.

* The plan creates an open seat in central Los Angeles that is likely to go to a Latino. Depending on where incumbents decide to run, the open Senate seat could be the 22nd or 24th. Sen. Art Torres, a Democrat, has declared he will run for one seat or the other, when they are open in 1994.

Assembly and Senate Districts

Senate District 17 extends north and east to the Nevada border, including portions of Kern and San Bernardino counties and all of Inyo County.

Assembly District 38 extends west into Ventura County, including Thousand Oaks.

Assembly District 61 is mostly in southwestern San Bernardino County.

Senate District 32 is mostly in southwestern San Bernardino County.

Demographics*

Dist. No. Dem. Rep. Anglo Latino Black Asian Assem. 36 34% 56% 75% 16% 5% 4% Sen. 17 36% 53% 75% 16% 5% 3% Assem. 38 40% 50% 72% 16% 3% 9% Sen. 19 40% 49% 66% 24% 3% 7% Assem. 39 61% 30% 25% 62% 7% 7% Assem. 40 54% 35% 58% 30% 4% 8% Sen. 20 57% 33% 42% 56% 5% 7% Assem. 43 42% 47% 61% 25% 2% 12% Assem. 44 44% 46% 58% 19% 12% 11% Sen. 21 43% 47% 59% 22% 7% 11% Assem. 45 61% 25% 16% 63% 2% 18% Assem. 46 65% 23% 9% 70% 7% 14% Sen. 22 63% 24% 12% 67% 5% 16% Assem. 41 49% 40% 82% 10% 2% 6% Assem. 42 59% 29% 79% 10% 3% 7% Sen. 23 54% 35% 80% 10% 3% 7% Assem. 49 60% 28% 15% 55% 1% 28% Assem. 57 56% 33% 22% 64% 3% 12% Sen. 24 58% 31% 18% 59% 2% 20% Assem. 51 70% 21% 22% 36% 37% 6% Assem. 52 80% 12% 10% 48% 36% 7% Sen. 25 75% 17% 16% 42% 37% 6% Assem. 47 75% 16% 30% 23% 40% 8% Assem. 48 88% 6% 2% 52% 46% 2% Sen. 26 80% 12% 16% 37% 43% 5% Assem. 54 43% 46% 66% 19% 6% 9% Assem. 56 49% 42% 56% 22% 7% 15% Sen. 27 46% 44% 61% 20% 6% 12% Assem. 53 43% 46% 74% 12% 2% 12% Assem. 55 69% 21% 19% 41% 23% 17% Sen. 28 52% 36% 47% 26% 13% 14% Assem. 59 39% 51% 64% 21% 6% 9% Assem. 60 43% 47% 47% 30% 6% 17% Sen. 29 41% 49% 56% 26% 6% 13% Assem. 50 67% 23% 8% 89% 2% 1% Assem. 58 64% 28% 28% 62% 2% 7% Sen. 30 65% 27% 18% 75% 2% 4%

* Some percentages may add up to more than 100% because the census may also count some Latinos in racial categories.

In the Congress

* The most dramatic impact is on the Los Angeles Westside and adjacent slices of the San Fernando Valley, where portions of four Democratic-leaning districts are combined into one new, heavily-Democratic district, the 29th. Incumbent Democrat Henry A. Waxman is seeking election to that seat. Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson has decided not to challenge Waxman and will run instead in the west San Fernando Valley seat, the 24th.

* The other two incumbent Democrats who had portions of the new 29th District are Reps. Mel Levine and Howard Berman. Levine already had decided to leave the House to run for the U.S. Senate this year. Berman has decided to run in the 26th District, in the eastern portion of the Valley.

* The plan creates a new Latino-oriented seat in the area to the south and east of downtown Los Angeles. Assemblywoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, a Democrat and daughter of Rep. Ed Roybal, plans to seek election in the 33rd District.

Congressional Districts

Congressional District 24 extends into Ventura County, including Thousand Oaks.

Congressional District 39 extends into Orange County, including Brea, Buena Park, Cypress, Fullerton, La Habra, La Palma, Placentia and Rossmoor.

Congressional District 41 extends into San Bernardino County, including Chino, Montclair, Ontario and Upland, and Orange County, including Yorba Linda and part of Placentia, Anaheim and Brea.

Demographics*

Dist. No. Dem. Rep. Anglo Latino Black Asian Cong. 24 45% 45% 78% 13% 2% 6% Cong. 25 37% 53% 72% 16% 4% 6% Cong. 26 58% 31% 34% 53% 6% 7% Cong. 27 42% 48% 61% 21% 8% 10% Cong. 28 41% 49% 57% 24% 6% 13% Cong. 29 57% 31% 76% 13% 3% 7% Cong. 30 61% 26% 15% 61% 4% 20% Cong. 31 59% 30% 17% 59% 2% 22% Cong. 32 76% 15% 24% 30% 40% 7% Cong. 33 66% 23% 8% 84% 4% 4% Cong. 34 61% 30% 27% 62% 2% 9% Cong. 35 80% 13% 10% 43% 43% 6% Cong. 36 42% 46% 69% 15% 3% 12% Cong. 37 77% 14% 12% 45% 34% 10% Cong. 38 49% 42% 58% 26% 8% 9% Cong. 39 39% 51% 61% 23% 3% 13% Cong. 41 40% 50% 52% 31% 7% 10%

* Some percentages may add up to more than 100% because the census may also count some Latinos in racial categories.

Sources: Race and ethnicity; California Supreme Court Special Masters for Reapportionment. Party registration: California Assembly. District boundaries: Strategic Mapping Inc.