Gerrymandering in OC: Elected Officials Push Back on Controversial Proposed Maps

“Oh look, an elephant,” OCGOP Chairman Will O’Neill said mockingly of a proposed Congressional District which winds and bends with an odd trunk-shaped protrusion. 

There’s nothing particularly special about Canyon View Avenue in Orange. It’s a roughly one-mile stretch of road connecting Chapman and Jamboree, with Peters Canyon Reservoir to its south. The surrounding area is entirely residential and its only other intersecting streets connect it to a host of suburban homes and neighborhoods—all of which are currently contained within California’s 40th Congressional District.

If the redistricting proposal put forth by California Democrats on Friday succeeds, this unassuming road will—in the span of about 900 feet—span three separate Congressional Districts. 

Said another way, if one were to stand at the intersection of Outrider St. and Canyon View Ave. and throw a pebble across the street, that stone would begin in the 40th Congressional District, fly across the 46th, and land in the 47th.

This is only one example, but it illustrates the problems that many Orange County officials have with the maps released—or perhaps more accurately, leaked—by the California Assembly last Friday. Another example would be that Mission Viejo—currently entirely within CA CD-40—would soon be in three Congressional Districts (40, 47, and 49). There are numerous examples of new district lines trifurcating communities in an explicitly partisan fashion—which, if adopted, would force residents to discern which one of three Congressional representatives is theirs and which is their neighbors’. Critics of gerrymandering on all sides of the political spectrum argue this increases confusion, dilutes political power, and weakens community interests.

One such critic is Orange County Republican Party Chairman and former Mayor of Newport Beach Will O’Neill, who called the maps “a travesty.” In particular, he took issue with Newport Beach being dissected in half—with one part connecting to Los Angeles County cities like Long Beach—and Fountain Valley now being grouped with Norwalk in a district that “looks like a hieroglyph.”

“Orange County’s cities are sliced and diced in ways that only a power-hungry partisan could love… This fragmented and disjointed approach serves a thirst for power, but certainly doesn’t serve voters who want clean maps that keep communities whole,” O’Neill said in a recent statement. “Proponents will claim ‘yeah, but Texas,’ while undermining the voters that they serve here in California.”

Conversely, Democrats are largely defending the maps. State Senator Catherine Blakespear (D-San Clemente) argued that “California has no choice” but to “level the national playing field.” In a statement of her own, Sen. Blakespear said that because other states “seek to corrupt democracy with partisan gerrymandering, we would be foolish not to acknowledge what is happening and respond accordingly.”

“Thank you for admitting you and your party [are] corrupt,” responded the Monterey County Republican Party.

Other notable Democrats like Rep. Derek Tran (D-Orange), Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Anaheim), Sen. Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton), Asm. Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine), and the Orange County Democratic Party itself have, at the time of writing, been conspicuously silent on the matter. All of the aforementioned elected officials would be voting on whether or not to advance the proposal, and many of them represent cities that are being dramatically split.

Congressman Dave Min (D-Newport Beach) did chime in on social media, albeit in a rather cryptic way. His most recent tweet reads: “Current mood: (Oh say say say, oh say say say, oh say say say, oh say say say... wait they don't love you like I love you, wait they don't love you like I love you, maps, wait they don't love like I love you...)”

These are lyrics from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs song “Maps,” which appears to be Rep. Min’s way of referencing the redistricting effort without commenting on it.

Even county officials are letting their voices be known. Supervisor Don Wagner called upon California Secretary of State Shirley Weber to put pressure on Governor Gavin Newsom: “The people of California sent a loud and clear message when they voted to yank redistricting power away from politicians and put it in the hands of the nonpartisan commission.” However, Supervisor Katrina Foley, who represents the Fifth District and who frequently weighs in on social media regarding statewide issues, has not issued a statement on the matter. Her opponent, Assemblywoman Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach), was quick to come out against the proposal.

“This mid-decade re-drawing of district lines happened behind closed doors in Sacramento,” said Asm. Dixon. “This sets a dangerous precedent… It opens the door to gerrymandering, which disproportionately harms communities of color, reduces competitive elections and erodes accountability. And the election will cost more than $230 million—which the state cannot afford!”

While Sen. Kate Sanchez has not yet directly commented on the proposed maps, she did issue a formal complaint against Governor Gavin Newsom, alleging that he used taxpayer funds to hold a rally for the redistricting ballot initiative. Under existing California law, it is illegal to use public resources for campaign activity. 

“Californians work hard for every dollar they earn, and they expect their tax dollars to fund essential services, not political campaigns. Governor Newsom’s decision to use public funds to stage a political rally is an abuse of power and a betrayal of the public trust," Sanchez said.

It makes sense that Republican leaders in Orange County—be they state officials or otherwise—are uniquely focused on opposing the effort given the county’s historical reputation as a conservative bastion. That has of course changed with time, and Orange County today has only one Republican Congresswoman. But the fact remains that any effort to explicitly curtail the minority party’s control is going to feel personal to many within the county, as OC is one of the few places in the Golden State where the GOP remains competitive. 

The proposal will be voted upon by the State Legislature next week. Given the vetoproof Democrat supermajority in Sacramento, it’s expected to pass with flying colors. It would then appear on ballots in a special election this Fall, where voters would then decide its fate.

“The fight against backroom deals in the dark begins now,” said O’Neill.