Political strategists mapping potential gains in the House next month are circling, of all places, California.
For decades, the state was largely an afterthought in the fight for control of the House. The state’s incumbents were impervious to a challenge because congressional boundaries were drawn to protect them, just as they are in most states.
In recent years, California has ditched the partisan gerrymandering that predominates in most of the country and has gone a different direction. Voters approved creation of an independent citizens redistricting commission to draw state legislative and congressional districts without regard to incumbency.
Commissioners are selected in a random, lottery-style drawing, and their work has helped create at least six congressional races this year that are considered winnable for either political party in the Nov. 3 general election.
A handful of other races are on the cusp of being competitive.
Democrats are defending four freshmen who rode President Barack Obama’s coattails to victory in 2012. Republicans are defending one freshman and also have to defend an open seat in Southern California created by the retirement of Rep. Gary Miller. Nationally, Democrats need to net 17 seats to gain control of the House, a goal most analysts believe the party is unlikely to meet.
Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, called California a “center of gravity” for the two major political parties. With 53 seats, it has by far the largest congressional delegation of any state.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/10/04/6756607/california-is-key-to-parties-us.html