With Possible Tweaks And Diminishing Alternatives, Redistricting Comm'n Chops CD 5 to Reunite Wrigley, Splits Los Cerritos/Bixby Knolls, Attaches Cal Hts To CD 5, Puts El Dorado Park And Adjacent Neighborhoods In CD 4

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With Possible Tweaks And Diminishing Alternatives, Redistricting Comm'n Chops CD 5 to Reunite Wrigley, Splits Los Cerritos/Bixby Knolls, Attaches Cal Hts To CD 5, Puts El Dorado Park And Adjacent Neighborhoods In CD 4

Action cuts incumbent Mungo and challenger Schipske out of 2022 election unless they move or Comm'n tweaks map or adopts alternative
Gives CD 1 incumbent Zendejas lucrative downtown entertainment area and Port (as she seeks 2022 re-election)

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(Nov. 4, 2021, updated Nov. 5 with clearer map and pdf link to details) -- With possible tweaks and diminishing alternatives, a sharply split Redistricting Commission twice rejected by one vote (8-4 with nine affirmative votes required) a map discussed for weeks and supported by most audience members.

In a roughly six hour meeting (in which the chair without Commissioners dissent) cut public testimony from two minutes to one minute each, the Commission voted to advance a map that -- if not tweaked on Nov. 10 and given final approval on Nov. 18 -- would reunite long-split Wrigley by chopping up CD 5 and splitting Bixby Knolls/Los Cerritos.

Despite a legal requirement to respect geographic factors, the map attaches physically-disconnected but airport-impacted California Heights (west of the Airport) to CD 5 (east of the Airport.)

It cuts El Dorado Park out of CD 5, moving all of the city's largest park, plus El Dorado Park South neighborhoods and northern and eastern ELB areas into a northward shifted CD 4. The action removes CD 5 incumbent Stacy Mungo and CD 5 challenger from CD 5 in the 2022 election cycle unless they move their residence or the Commission tweaks the now advanced map or considers a previously rejected map or another map on Nov. 10.

The Commission is legally barred from considering the effect of its maps on election candidates or challenger.

UPDATE: LBREPORT.com (which provided a quick screen shot of the map) has updated that graphic with the Redistrict Partner (consultant firm) released clearer version of the map. For deta details, click on the map to view a pdf with several pages of data details. [END UPDATE].

Redistricting Partners released version of Nov. 3 advanced map. For data details, click map to view several pdf pages.

However the Commission made a change with arguably profound 2022 election cycle impacts. It gives CD 1 incumbent Mary Zendejas -- whose previous mainly working class areas north of downtown have the highest number of shootings in the City -- a newly expanded district that includes the lucrative Port of Long Beach and downtown entertainment areas. Those areas are potential sources of campaign contributions as Zendejas seeks re-election in 2022.

The now advanced map cuts downtown and Port areas out of CD 2, requiring incumbent Cindy Allen to move her declared residence if she seeks reelection in 2024.

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