Elk Grove Could Switch Congressional Districts

Elk Grove residents could soon find themselves voting in a completely redrawn congressional district.

After two years of work, the 14-member California Citizens Redistricting Commission released draft plans for new congressional and state districts for the entire state on Friday, including a possible switch for Elk Grove, which is currently a part of the area represented by Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Gold River).

Michelle Romero, a redistricting fellow at the advocacy and public policy firm Greenlining Institute, said the changes are designed to give each district an equal population.

"We saw that a lot of the coastal districts were underpopulated for this cycle," Romero said. "The inland areas and more northern areas are more over-populated ... [There are] definitely a lot of changes in Sacramento and even the Bay Area."

The plans show new boundaries for California's 53 congressional districts, 40 state senate districts and 80 state assembly districts, as well as districts for the state Board of Equalization, which handles taxation issues. The districts, which are currently not numbered, will be further revised before the August deadline.

The draft maps for state senate and assembly both place all of Elk Grove in a single district. The city is currently split into more than one district in both chambers.

Romero encouraged residents to speak their opinions at commission meetings, as the body "is weighing in-person testimony rather heavily."

What this means for me:

It means you could find yourself part of a new congressional or state district. And it means you could find yourself suddenly part of the majority (or minority) politically.

Continue to check back with Patch for more information about these proposed districts.