Draft legislative district maps released this week would likely exclude Assembly Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, from the district representing much of the county, in addition to drawing Assemblymember Evan Low, D-Campbell, into a district with Assemblymember Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto.
The maps, which will be used to elect state lawmakers for the next 10 years, are redrawn every decade coinciding with the release of census data to maintain roughly equal population sizes among districts as population densities shift. Given the requirement that lawmakers reside within the district they represent, this can cause conflict if a new map moves a legislator out of their district or into someone else’s.
“Our residence would likely [be] outside the proposed Assembly district boundaries,” Mullin said in an email. “However, this is just the initial draft map and I expect additional changes so we’ll continue to follow the process. Regardless, it’s been the honor of my life to represent the people of San Mateo County at the state Capitol and I still have over a year remaining in my term.”
Mullin, who has served in the Assembly since 2012, will be termed out in 2024 regardless of the final map. Berman could spend another six years in the Assembly if reelected next year, and Low has four years before meeting his term limit. Berman and Low’s offices did not respond to requests for comment from the assemblymembers.
District maps are drawn by California’s independent redistricting commission, which forms the maps over the course of several weeks. Districts must also be drawn such that people of color are empowered to elect their preferred representatives, a key concern during the process. The maps will likely continue to evolve up until the Dec. 27 deadline.
The 22nd Assembly District, represented by Mullin, encompasses the majority of the Peninsula from South San Francisco to Redwood City. The new district boundary would shift to include a sizable chunk to the southeast including Half Moon Bay, and to the north the district would see a slight reduction — the change that could exclude Mullin.
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The 24th District, currently represented by Berman, could see notable changes. Currently the district covers Menlo Park to Sunnyvale, and west from Half Moon Bay to Pescadero. The new map splits the region creating east and west portions, lumping the coast in a large district that extends to Santa Cruz and inland to Morgan Hill. The eastern portion including Palo Alto, where Berman lives, would be within a district that would stretch into a portion of Campbell, potentially including Low’s residence.
The proposed Senate map leaves things relatively unchanged for the Peninsula. The 13th District, represented by state Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, gets a slight extension to the north and shifts to the southern boundary that would see Saratoga included and Sunnyvale excluded.
The maps are currently within a two-week review period ending Nov. 24 in which they cannot be altered. Public-comment meetings will begin Nov. 17. The new maps would take effect beginning with the November 2022 election.
Go to wedrawthelinesca.org to view the maps or for more information on the process.
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