Latinos Win Some, Lose Some In CA Redistricting

Depending on what level of redistricting you consider, Latinos in California have either lost out, or won out, according to Rosalind Gold, who is the Senior Director of Policy, Research and Advocacy for the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, NALEO.

“We do feel that, if you look at the state as a whole, there should have been an overall increase in Latino effective districts because the Latino population increase accounted for 90% of the overall increase of the state’s population,” Gold told News Taco. “So, there’s no way they could have stagnated or reduced the number of Latino effective districts and fairly represented the Latino growth in the state.”

Essentially, the way Gold broke down what California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission was by looking at the number of Latino effective districts — where Latinos make up 50% of the citizen voting age population and thus can elect candidates of their choice — and whether this number increased or decreased with the new districts.

When it came to the state senate map, overall, the number of existing Latino effective districts was reduced, Gold told us.

• A state senate district in Imperial and Riverside counties, near the Mexico border, is only 49% Latino citizen voting age population.
• The rural Coachella Valley is now part of a district that went down to 46% Latino citizen voting age population.
• Two districts on their way to becoming Latino effective districts — in the San Fernando Valley and Orange County —were reduced from almost 50% to much less.

When it came to congressional districts, Gold told us:

• One Latino effective district was added in the San Fernando Valley and the San Diego/Imperial County area.
• Another district probably should have been added in the Central Valley, however.

Gold said that when it came to the state assembly, that is the state house of representatives, the Commission did one of the “best” jobs for Latinos.

• There were 8 new Latino effective districts in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, up from 6 previously.
• There were new districts in San Diego County and the Coachella Valley.
• But there could have been one more added to the Central Valley.

Overall, Gold told News Taco that the likelihood that maps would change ata ll is small, given the tight deadline the Commission is under. However, she said despite this being the Commission’s first time drawing lines, and some initial challenges with getting the members to consider Voting Rights Act issues pertaining to redistricting, Latino voters generally fared well.

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD