Redistricting Maps Alarm Local Leaders

Orange County could lose an Assembly district and some cities could be moved into new districts represented by Los Angeles County-based legislators under a preliminary redistricting plan by state Republicans that has upset elected city and county officials.

But members of the county’s Republican Assembly delegation, who met Monday, said they are confident that Assemblyman Bill Campbell’s 71st District, which is carved up into other districts under the plan, will continue to exist--good news to Supervisor Todd Spitzer, who has announced his candidacy to replace Campbell.

Spitzer has already raised $420,000 for his campaign and succeeded in putting an initiative on the March ballot that would let Orange County voters, rather than the governor, decide who should fill vacancies on the board.

“The bottom line is Orange County could lose a legislator,” Spitzer said. “We’re trying to correct some of the motivations for drawing these lines and redraw back in the Assembly district.”

The maps are preliminary and undoubtedly subject to change. But Spitzer noted the irony of having difficulty with a plan brought by fellow Republicans.

“This isn’t a Democrat’s plan but the Republican Caucus’, the Republican leadership’s,” Spitzer said. “We’re the most Republican county in the state and we contribute the most Republican dollars. Why in the world would anyone be motivated to hurt Orange County’s availability to help Republicans in the state?”

The redrawing of congressional and legislative district boundaries occurs every 10 years, following the once-a-decade census. New Assembly and Senate district boundaries are expected to be announced this week.

The Republican Caucus sent out several new county redistricting maps last week that caught many elected officials by surprise.

Under the Republican plan, Assemblyman Robert Pacheco (R-Walnut), whose district includes Whittier, would see his boundaries extended into Orange County’s northern area and pick up Fullerton and La Habra.

Assemblywoman Sally Havice (D-Cerritos) would have her district realigned to include Buena Park and La Palma. Havice, who cannot run for her seat again because of term limits, has already declared that she will run for Congress.

The boundaries of Assemblyman Dennis Hollingsworth’s (R-Murrieta) district would move from the Riverside County border across the Cleveland National Forest and include Trabuco Canyon, Rancho Santa Margarita and Coto de Caza.

The reaction to the maps underscores the districting angst that the county’s Republican legislators face not only with a Democratic-controlled Legislature, but also among their own leaders.

For example, Assemblywoman Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel), whose south Orange County district has grown in population, was told that she needed to lose as many as 17,000 residents. Her district includes inland cities such as Laguna Niguel but also extends along the coast south into Carlsbad in San Diego County.

She lost her San Diego cities and was moved farther north, according to preliminary drafts. Such a plan would dilute the influence of South County cities in her district, Bates said.

“I was shocked,” she said. “I would be losing San Diego County area and basically taking my district north to collapse Campbell’s district.”

The early maps have also angered several city council members in the northern end of the county, such as Patsy Marshall of Buena Park.

“I don’t care if they’re Republican or Democrat, this is a county issue,” said Marshall, who spent the weekend telephoning legislators for information. “They’re taking four cities and putting them into Los Angeles, and that will dilute the four cities’ strength.”

Though Campbell, a Republican, expressed confidence that his district would survive any kind of squeeze play, even one by his own party, he added: “Stay tuned. My bet is the 71st District will continue to exist in Orange County,” Campbell said.

Several county legislators echoed the reaction by Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher (R-Brea): “Really, this whole redistricting is in flux.”

Marshall said that if the boundaries are drastically changed, she’s ready to push for a lawsuit by Buena Park.

“I don’t care who represents me; the fact is that my concerns for my residents and city in Orange County are entirely different from those in Artesia and Whittier,” she said.