New District Lines Create Battle of the Titans

A state redistricting commission approved its final maps for congressional and state legislative electoral districts on Friday, making it likely that they will become the voting districts until the next redistricting process in 10 years.

The final meeting of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission will be on August 15, according to the commission's spokesman Rob Wilcox.  At that point, the commission will either vote to finalize the maps, or reject them- there will be no further revisions before that deadline, Wilcox said (for more on the commission and its process ).

That means that the maps that have been released (which can be viewed on an interactive map here) will most likely be the next state districts.

The new boundaries sets the stage for a showdown between two longtime Valley political heavyweights, Brad Sherman and Howard Berman, congressmen who before now have represented different districts but now will likely find themselves living the same district, the new West San Fernando Valley - Calabasas District. Berman currently represents the 28th District, which includes San Fernando, Pacoima, Arleta, Panorama City, Sylmar, and North Hollywood, territory that will be moved to the East San Fernando Valley - Tujunga District.

Whereas, Sherman represents a large patch of the West Valley from Sherman Oaks north into Chatsworth.

Sherman has expressed the hope that he would not have to run against a fellow democrat, but he didn't actually mention Howard Berman by name.

Berman indicated in a statement that if the new lines are finalized, he would opt to run for the West San Fernando Valley - Calabasas District.

"Still, if the final districts look anything like the draft map released today, my home is squarely in the district it is calling 'West San Fernando Valley - Calabasas.'  It's premature to make an official campaign announcement until district lines are finalized, however, there is no question that I would want to continue representing this community," Berman said.

Sherman and Berman would run against each other initially in the June 2012 primary. Then under California's new election law, which pits the top two voter getters-regardless of party- on the November ballot, there could be a second battle between the two political heavyweights in the general election in November.

That race might be called "Battle of the Titans II."