SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A proposal to temporarily redraw California's political maps could dramatically alter several districts, including the lone Republican seat in San Diego County.
If the maps are approved, Congressman Darrell Issa's seat would shift from a safe Republican stronghold to a competitive toss-up district.
Currently, Issa represents a district that stretches from San Diego's North County east into the rural parts of the county. Under the proposal, Issa would lose Poway, along with other Republican strongholds, like Santee and Ramona.
He would pick up San Marcos and Vista but would also reach deeper into Riverside County, gaining Palm Springs. The desert city is majority Democratic and home to one of the largest LGBTQ communities in the state.
That shift could make Issa's political future much less secure. With the new boundaries, Democrats would have a 4-percentage-point registration edge over Republicans.
Political Science Professor Thad Kousser says that would make Issa's seat one of the most competitive in California.
"That would mean this is really a toss-up district by party registration. It would draw more high-profile challengers on the Democratic side. It would draw more funding from donors. And this would be a deeply competitive district," Kousser said.
It's not just Issa's district. Neighboring communities in Riverside and San Bernardino counties would also see their lines shift.
San Diego Republican Chairwoman Paula Whitsell argues the current independent commission process is more fair.
"The intent was to be a neutral, fair, and balanced procedure, and clearly the intent, by bringing it back to the legislature, it's not going to be fair and independent," Whitsell said.
With control of the House expected to be decided by just a handful of seats, even one shift in Southern California could tip the balance of power in Washington.
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