Democrats look to keep majorities - Control could affect future redistricting

Steve Lawrence
Daily Breeze
November 8, 2000

Democrats look to keep majorities

Control could affect future redistricting

SACRAMENTO -- Democratic legislators were confident they would retain their majorities Tuesday, giving them the chance to redraw district lines to keep control well into the future.

But Republicans were trying to cut into those Democratic advantages.

Assemblywoman Audie Bock had a more modest and more difficult goal: winning re-election as the Legislature's sole independent.

One hundred seats -- all of the Assembly and half of the Senate -- were on the ballot, but only about six Senate seats and 14 Assembly seats had a serious chance of changing hands.

"There's no way in the world Republicans could control" either house, said Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco. Republicans also conceded it was unlikely they could do more than pick up a few seats in each house.

If Democrats maintain their majorities, they could pass redistricting plans next year seeking to solidify or even expand their edges in the Legislature and win more congressional seats, though the plans would likely face a challenge in court or on the ballot from Republicans.

In the Oakland area, Green-turned-independent Bock was trying to stave off a well-financed campaign by Democrat Wilma Chan, an Alameda County supervisor, in a district that Democrats dominate and felt they never should have lost in a special election last year.

With 7 percent of the precincts counted, Bock was trailing 56 percent to 26 percent.

Key Senate races included a battle between Sen. Richard Rainey, R-Walnut Creek, and Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, D-Martinez, that could come close to beating the two-candidate spending record of $6.37 million.

With 36 percent of the precincts reporting, Torlakson was leading 50 percent to 48 percent.

Sacramento-Stockton area Senate race between Assemblyman Mike Machado, D-Linden, and Lodi City Councilman Alan Nakanishi could also top $6 million.

Nakanishi took an early lead. With 18 percent of the precincts reporting, Nakanishi led 49 percent to 47 percent.

In the Assembly, Republicans were leading for two seats that had been in Democratic control.

In the Glendale area, Republican Craig Missakian was leading Democrat Dario Frommer, a former aide to Gov. Gray Davis, 53 percent to 47 percent with only absentee votes counted. The seat is now held by Assemblyman Scott Wildman, D-Los Angeles, who ran unsuccessfully for the Senate.

In the Pomona area, Republican Dennis Yates, a Chino city councilman, led Democrat Gloria McLeod, a community college board member, 56 percent to 41 percent for a vacant Assembly seat. Democrat Nell Soto, D-Pomona, gave up the seat earlier this year after winning a special state Senate election.

Going in the election, Democrats held 25 of the Senate's 40 seats and 46 of the Assembly's 80 seats. The GOP had 15 seats in the Senate and 32 in the Assembly. One Assembly seat was vacant and one was held by Bock.

The Legislature this fall saw more million-dollar races than ever, fueled in part by redistricting. Lawmakers are required to redraw legislative and congressional districts every 10 years to reflect population changes revealed by the new federal census.

If one party controls both houses of the Legislature and holds the Governor's Office, it can use redistricting next year to pack as many of the opposing party's voters into as few districts as possible.