Race & The American Political Domain: Sacramento Bee: White Representatives Over-Represented In California

White voters will dominate in California's redrawn political districts
(Article extracted from Black Electorate)

From The Article

Most of California's legislators and congressional representatives will be elected over the next decade from districts dominated by white voters, the state's new political maps show.

Districts drawn by the state's first-ever redistricting commission may bolster the clout of other racial groups – particularly Latinos – but probably not end the longtime political dominance by whites.

Caucasians currently hold nearly two of every three legislative seats, for example, even though California's white population fell to below 50 percent of the state total more than a decade ago.

"The overrepresentation of whites, I think, will continue," said Marqueece Harris-Dawson of the African American Redistricting Collaborative. "Hopefully, that will be a focal point of the redistricting process (in 2021)."

In six of every 10 new legislative and congressional districts drawn by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, whites comprise more than 50 percent of the adult citizen population, exceeding the total of all other groups combined, according to statistics by Redistricting Partners, a research and consulting firm.

The imbalance is due largely to population distribution – not racial discrimination – analysts say, adding that candidates of any color are potential contenders in districts dominated by their party.

"Minorities, more and more, are getting the ability to get elected almost anywhere," said Paul Mitchell, a Democratic strategist and leader of Redistricting Partners.



Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/08/3822870/white-voters-will-dominate-in.html#ixzz1UiiERpET

Analysis

The political make up of California's legislative delegation will become racially identifiable, just as Georgia is noted for.  California is two states.  The coastal region where the majority of its large cities are have strong Democratic machines.  The geographically expansive eastern part of the state is where the majority of the Republican representation resides.   As the Hispanic population grows and or future second generation immigrant citizens begin to vote the Democratic delegation will become increasingly Hispanic.

Don't be too surprised to see some long term Black representatives lose their seats to a Hispanic Democrat.  Both Rep Maxine Waters and and Rep Laura Richardson have districts that are now majority Hispanic.

From the article

African Americans, with only 6 percent of the state's population, have a good chance of retaining their current legislative and congressional seats after the new maps take effect, Harris-Dawson said.

"I think that, in the end, the clout will remain the same or grow," he said of African Americans.

The biggest blowup in the redistricting commission focused on whether to create a Los Angeles congressional district with a majority of African American voters.

African American groups argued against using that strict standard. Creating intensely packed districts is meant to preserve voting clout of racial groups, but ironically, it could have jeopardized two of three Los Angeles congressional seats currently held by African Americans: Maxine Waters, Karen Bass and Laura Richardson.
"Frankly, we spent most of our energy trying to defeat that rationale," Harris-Dawson said.

Ultimately, African American leaders won the showdown, resulting in large black populations in those districts – 28 percent to 35 percent – but dispersing them enough to likely preserve at least two, perhaps three, Los Angeles congressional seats for black lawmakers.



Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/08/3822870/white-voters-will-dominate-in.html#ixzz1UikCw9lo