Santa Rosa could play a huge role in redistricting

The North Bay could play a major role in the Democrats' effort to take a seat away from a Republican, while keeping two seats they already have in their column, with Sonoma's County seat playing a pivotal role.?Santa Rosa may soon have a different Congressional boundary around it.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - The North Bay could play a major role in the Democrats' effort to take a seat away from a Republican, while keeping two seats they already have in their column, with Sonoma's County seat playing a pivotal role. Santa Rosa may soon have a different Congressional boundary around it.

With 175,000 people, Santa Rosa could easily tip the scales with the decidedly conservative counties to the north, not at all happy about it.

Of California's 52 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, 43 are held by Democrats; 9 by Republicans.

What happens with a new CA map?

If Governor Newsom and the Democrat-dominated legislature can win voter approval in November for a heavily gerrymandered redistricting map, the Congressional split could be 48 Democrats and just 4 Republicans, wiping out any Texas gains.

In a nutshell, for all five Congressional seats Democrats hope to take away from Republicans, the strategy is to draw boundaries that move strong Democratic populations into Republican ones to overwhelm the candidate, just as Texas is doing to Democrats.

The city of Santa Rosa figures heavily onto the plan. By putting liberal Santa Rosa, which is currently split between the 2nd and 4th Congressional districts, into the currently Republican 1st Congressional District, the 1st District would shift towards Democrats.

What they're saying:

Sonoma County Supervisor and former Santa Rosa Mayor Chris Coursey, prefers the existing redistricting commission. That said, we're also facing what I and a lot of people I talk to believe is an existential crisis for our democracy.

Folks we met on Santa Rosa's Courthouse Square favor redistricting. "I do not trust Republicans. So, if he's trying through this to get Democrats in the government, I say absolutely, yes," said Santa Rosan Evan Koch.

"Governor Newsom is doing it the right way. It should go before the voters. I don't think the Governor would be looking at this if it wasn't for what Texas is trying to pull off. They won't put it in front of the voters," said Santa Rosan Thomas Murphy.

Some had reservations. "I just don't know that you should be doing that. This is a national situation and California's got its own issues," said Kevin Foster.

"I think there would probably be a lot of support for it because there's a lot of fear right now, but long term, like a lot of things, I think it's a slippery slope," said Charlene Dunlap.

"We're facing a choice between a slipper slope and of a cliff and the cliff is coming," said Supervisor Coursey.

Some have not seen the nation this divided since the Vietnam War. But, the war was the major issue. Nowadays, we seem to agree on nothing.

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