Courts reject challenge to new California electoral maps

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"Redistricting" may be one of the least exciting words in the English language.

But redrawn districts could have a huge impact on state politics - and today, California is one step closer to a new electoral map.

The state Supreme Court shot down a challenge to congressional and state senate districts drawn up by a citizens' commission.

"It really is almost now a completion of the implementation of the public's will," said redistricting commissioner Stan Forbes, who called the redistricting process remarkably democratic. "We had 25,000 public comments. When's the last time anything in state government had 25,000 citizens comment? Everything was video-taped, live streamed, it was completely transparent. The cliché we used was that in the last line drawing, the politicians picked their voters. This time, the people pick their politicians."

State Republican leaders said they support reforming the process, but don't think the outcome was fair.

"We're big fans of the idea, but unfortunately, it didn't go the way the people intended," said GOP spokesman Mark Standriff. "Along the way, this nonpartisan group has been hijacked by a bunch of partisan interests. We'd look for a process that was consistent along the way, that was open and completely transparent. And that's what I think the people really wanted. That's what they were promised; they just weren't delivered on it."

The new map is expected to make state and congressional campaigns more competitive. Commission members said that wasn't part of their consideration, but Dan Schnur, director of USC's Unruh Institute and a fan of the process, said it may be a side benefit.

"In the last 10 years, just to give you a little bit of math, there were a total of 265 campaigns for Congress, and in those campaigns, 264 of them resulted in the same party winning," he said. "So when you only have turnover in one out of 265 races, there's a lot of room for growth. Regardless of how the current fight over redistricting plays itself out, you will see districts in California next year where there's going to be more of a competition between the parties."

The redistricting commission still faces a few more hurdles. Republicans have until November 13 to gather signatures for a ballot measure that would overturn the redrawn State Senate districts.