(June 7, 2006) -- Jenny Oropeza, who went from the LB School Board, to the City Council (1st district), to the State Assembly (where she now confronts term limits) is likely to become State Senator Oropeza by year's end.

On June 6, Oropeza won the Democrats' primary, defeating veteran southbay Democrat lawmaker George Nakano by a roughly 53%-47% margin, for a chance to face a Republican challenger likely doomed to failure in the Democrat-drawn, predominantly Democrat-voter 28th State Senate district in November.

State Senate District 28, gerrymandered to stretch from PV to north of Culver City to encompass mainly Democrat strongholds, really must be seen to be believed (image, right).

We regret that Assemblywoman Oropeza, who's advanced progressive legislation to deal with port and diesel pollution, was among state lawmakers who helped impose these absurdly drawn districts which we believe make a mockery of democracy.

The current system of self-perpetuating political districts has led columnist Jill Stewart to quip that in CA, voters don't choose their representatives; representatives choose their voters.