Local Impact: Lines Drawn for Final Redistricting Maps

A state redistricting commission approved its final maps for congressional and state legislative electoral districts on Friday, making it likely that they will become the voting districts until the next redistricting process in 10 years.

The final meeting of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission will be on August 15, according to the commission's spokesman Rob Wilcox.  At that point, the commission will either vote to finalize the maps, or reject them- there will be no further revisions before that deadline, Wilcox said (for more on the commission and its process ).

That means that the maps that have been released (which can be viewed at right or on an interactive map here) will most likely be the next state districts.

The new maps differ slightly from those originally proposed in June, however, their impact would be the same; should these maps receive final approval, Highland Park and Mount Washington will have fewer voices speaking for them in the state senate and assembly. However, they will also be merged with the demographically similar community of East Los Angeles, and would no longer share representation with San Gabriel Valley cities and towns.

State Senate Districts

Parts of Highland Park are currently representated in the 21st California state senate district by State Senator Carol Liu and in the 22nd state senate district by State Senator Kevin De León. The entire neighborhood of Mount Washington is represented by De León.

That fragmentation would end under the proposed maps, with the two neighborhoods being merged into a single state senate district. The new maps would merge the vast majority of Northeast Los Angeles into a single district, while also incorporating the community of East Los Angeles. The new maps also mean that residents in state senate district 21 would no longer share representation with cities like South Pasadena, San Marino, Pasadena and Alhambra. Voters in the 22nd state senate district would be cut off from the cities of Pasadena, Burbank, La Cañada-Flintridge and Glendale.  

Liu, a La Cañada resident, would not be eligible to represent the newly defined senate district, while De León, a Los Angeles resident, would.

Assembly Districts

As with the state senate, Highland Park is currently split between two assembly districts. Assemblyman Anthony Portantino represents parts of the neighborhood in state assembly district 44, while Assemblyman Gilbert Cedillo represents the entire neighborhood of Mount Washington and the western portion of Highland Park in Assembly District 45.

Under the new maps, Highland Park and Mount Washington would merge with the rest of its Northeast Los Angeles neighbors as well as with the unincorporated community of East Los Angeles. The new maps would also mean that Highland Park and Mount Washington would no longer share representation with the San Gabriel Valley cities of Pasadena, South Pasadena, Duarte, Arcadia and Altadena.

Portantino, Highland Park's current representative,  would no longer be a resident in the new district, but he is termed out and has said .

Cedillo, a resident of Los Angeles, would still be eligible to represent Highland Park and Mount Washington.

Congressional District

Currently, Highland Park and Mount Washington are represented in the 31st United States Congressional District by Congressman Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles). Though the size of the district would change-a gap in the district between South Los Angeles and the State Route 710 would be filled--it's representation likely would not, as Becerra is a resident of Los Angeles.