How Redistricting Has Affected California’s Congressional Races
Like every other state with multiple congressional districts, California’s district lines were redrawn over the past year to reflect the results of the 2020 census. Before redistricting, the Golden State had 44 Democratic-leaning seats, seven Republican-leaning seats and two highly competitive sets. After redistricting, it has 43 Democratic-leaning seats, seven Republican-leaning seats and two highly competitive seats. In other words, the partisanship of California’s map barely changed.
However, California’s district lines did change significantly under the surface, in ways that could affect today’s races. For example, moderate Democratic Rep. John Garamendi’s district added a bunch of new, dark-blue turf, meaning many voters in the new district aren’t familiar with him — and they may prefer someone more progressive.
Similarly, Republican Rep. Tom McClintock had the choice of two districts in which to run, and he chose the one that was safer for Republicans. But he currently represents less than half of that new seat, which means he’ll have to watch out for a primary challenge from fellow Republican Nathan Magsig.
Finally, Orange County’s districts were significantly redrawn, forcing Republican Reps. Michelle Steel and Young Kim to run in districts that contain about 20 percent or less of their current constituents. This could put Kim, in particular, in danger of losing to a more conservative Republican like Greg Raths.