California Redistricting Plan May Swing on This Sonoma County Shakeup

On Sunday, more than 300 Sonoma County Democrats gathered at Sally Tomatoes in Rohnert Park for a “Summer BBQ & Bluau.” Guests watched a Polynesian dance troupe and tossed beanbags at cornholes adorned with the faces of Republican politicians — a game dubbed “DOGE-ball.”

In between bites of teriyaki chicken and pineapple rice, local officials and party activists buzzed about the just-released plan to redraw California’s congressional map — and the proposal for a new seat in the heart of Sonoma County that could be a key puzzle piece for Democrats as they hope to win the House.

“The mood was buoyant, uplifting and fired up,” said Pat Sabo, chair of the Sonoma County Democratic Party. “People have felt absolutely helpless in what they can do. There’s now something concrete that they can do to fight back against this blatant takeover of democracy.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democrats in the Legislature are pushing the new political lines to help Democrats win back the House of Representatives in 2026, as Republicans in Texas and other red states work to redraw their maps to help the GOP. If the Legislature approves the redistricting plan in a vote set for Thursday, it will appear on the ballot as Proposition 50 in a Nov. 4 special election.

Under the plan, much of Sonoma County would be added to the 1st Congressional District, transforming a seat where voters favored Donald Trump over Kamala Harris by 25 points into a Harris +12 district. The district would likely add a win to the Democratic column in the midterms, and possibly create a political lifeline for the outgoing Senate president pro tem, North Bay Democrat Mike McGuire.

The creation of a new district anchored in Sonoma would typically draw interest from droves of Democratic politicians — especially a congressional seat with no term limits. Last year, the race for an open Assembly seat in the North Bay drew half a dozen Democratic hopefuls.

But Sonoma State political science professor David McCuan said one Democrat could clear the field in the newly drawn 1st Congressional District.

“By including all of Santa Rosa, it is tailor-made for the pro tem, the darling of the North Coast — and that’s state Sen. Mike McGuire,” McCuan said.

McGuire, who is termed out of office next year, currently represents nearly all of Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties in the state Senate. McGuire has launched a campaign for insurance commissioner in 2026, but McCuan said the prospect of a congressional run could add another layer of drama to the fall campaign.

“A termed-out pro tem, someone who’s been kind of under the radar … is able to park himself in a position that has a district that’s very favorable,” McCuan said. “That’s a fascinating development out of this big ticket, big kahuna race that’s going to dominate national politics for the next 80 days.”

In a statement, McGuire’s office said the pro tem is focused on his work in the Legislature, and that any speculation about future House campaigns “is wildly premature and inappropriate.”

“Let’s be clear — we’re here at this flashpoint because Donald Trump and Republican leaders are trying to rig the election,” the statement said. “These maps, submitted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, aren’t about any single legislator or Congressional seat, they’re about the future of our state, our country, and our democracy — and Trump’s attempt to steal the election.”

If California voters approve the new map, the immediate loser from the redraw of the 1st Congressional District would be incumbent Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa, who has held the seat since 2013.

Conservative communities in Shasta and Modoc counties would be removed from LaMalfa’s seat and added to a coastal district running from Marin to Crescent City.

LaMalfa did not respond to an interview request but asked on social media platform X: “How on earth does Modoc County on the Nevada and Oregon Border have any common interest with Marin County and the Golden Gate Bridge?”

The opportunity to play a leading role in taking back the House has helped some Wine Country Democrats overcome their concerns about a partisan redistricting scheme. The ballot measure would set aside California’s current congressional lines, which are drawn by a nonpartisan independent redistricting commission, for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 congressional elections.

“I was going, ‘Oh, no, gerrymandering — isn’t that illegal? We don’t want to do that,’” said Beth Hadley, president of the Sonoma Valley Democrats. “But when I heard more about it, I feel like we have to, because I feel like our country is being destroyed right now, and we have to get some guardrails on this administration.”

The 1st District would stretch east to west — then veer down Highway 101 through the liberal towns of Mendocino County toward Santa Rosa. State Assemblymember Chris Rogers, a Democrat from Santa Rosa, said the map unites communities with different politics but common issues.

“Especially when you think about the fire history and the shared struggle that survivors have gone through in Paradise and Chico and Santa Rosa and Windsor and Healdsburg,” Rogers said. “This next map that’s being proposed is just as legitimate as anything that has been drawn prior.”

Sabo said she also likes that the new map keeps Santa Rosa intact, rather than splitting it between the 2nd and 4th congressional districts as it currently does.

“Oftentimes, people get a little bit confused as to who is representing them,” she said. “If you know that you’re Santa Rosa, that you have a singular congressman … you know who to go to. You can form a stronger bond with that elected.”

Now Sabo is focused on getting out the vote for the Nov. 4 special election. She is forming plans to knock on doors, distribute leaflets, and host house parties where voters can ask questions about the redistricting process.

“We know that we have to work hard to get this done in a very short period of time,” Sabo said. “But we are not afraid of hard work.”