SUPREME COURT: Lake Elsinore, Wildomar Redistricting Stands

The California Supreme Court today unanimously denied two pending petitions for writs of mandate that challenged the validity of the state Senate and congressional maps that have been certified by the Citizens Redistricting Commission. (Vandermost v. Bowen, S196493; Radanovich v. Bowen, S196852.)

The court also denied petitioners’ requests for an emergency stay of the certified maps.

All seven justices participated in the court’s action.

covering the 40 State Senate and 80 Assembly districts, California’s 53 congressional districts, and the four districts of the California State Board of Equalization.

The petitions for writs of mandate filed in the Supreme Court challenged only the state Senate and congressional districts.

Locally, the new congressional map has raised some hairs. It places all of Lake Elsinore and Wildomar into District 42 (see attached map), but it leaves out much of a key Southwest Riverside city.

Under the new congressional lines, much of Temecula and North County San Diego fall into District 50.

The new legislative map puts all of Lake Elsinore and Wildomar into the State Assembly’s 67th District (see attached map). Under the old map, the two cities are divided among the 66th and 64th districts represented by Kevin Jeffries (R-Lake Elsinore) and Brian Nestande (R-Palm Desert), respectively.

Under the redistricting, in the Senate Lake Elsinore and Wildomar are represented in District 28, and the two cities are part of the state Board of Equalization’s District 4 (see attached maps).

In August, California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro argued that the new Senate lines favor Democrats.

"There isn't any doubt that this commission did not apply consistent standards when drawing its maps - and the worst of that relates to Senate maps," Del Beccaro told the Associated Press this past summer.

The redistricting commissioners defended their maps, saying they conducted dozens of public hearings and drew the lines according to law.