Government
California’s 2020 Redistricting Commission Is Accepting Applications: Only 253 African Americans Have Applied
Gerrymandering, or the creation of voting districts that look like jigsaw puzzle pieces to meet political goals, is a problem the California Redistricting Commission seeks to avoid.
The 14 appointees to the commission should reflect the diversity of the state’s population and there is already concern that Black people may be counted out.
As of Sunday this week, a total of about 4,226 Californians had applied for a position on the CRC, which will convene next year and last through 2030.
Of that number, about 6 percent – or approximately 253 applicants – are African Americans.
On the website of the CSA, which guides the work of the commission, there are daily updating charts and graphs that capture the ethnicity and other demographic information of the people who have applied so far.
The CSA says it wants Californians of all backgrounds who have a history of civic engagement to apply in an effort to make sure the group selected is a close reflection of the state’s general population in terms of region, comity, income, age, race, ethnicity and other profile information.
“We are thrilled about the number of applications submitted since the application period opened on June 10,” said Elaine M. Howie, California State Auditor. “But the work is not done yet. We want to make sure that all Californians are represented in the initial application pool. That means we need even more of the State’s talented and diverse citizens to take up this once in a decade opportunity and apply by August 9.”
Every 10 years, California appoints a new commission after the U.S. Census. It is tasked with mapping or re-drawing the state’s electoral lines based on geographic and other data changes in the state population over the decade between census counts.
In 2008, California voters approved the commission through a constitutional amendment called “The Voters First Act” or “Proposition 11” that handed the power of drawing electoral maps over to the hands of citizens. The policy was set up to avoid the political influence of government officials or special interest groups on the redistricting process.
Before the passage of Proposition 11, the state Legislature was responsible for drawing its own electoral districts.
“The politicians were choosing their districts instead of the districts choosing their politicians,” said Mario Blanco, a member of the outgoing 2010 commission, detailing how the former process of redistricting before prop 11 was vulnerable to gerrymandering.
Then, in 2011, California voters approved Proposition 20, an initiative that expanded the responsibilities of the commission to drawing California’s U.S. Congressional districts as well.
The 2020 Commission will include five Democrats, five Republicans, and four who are either registered without, or “independent” of, any political party,” said Fernandez.
The citizens of California, through the California State Auditor (CSA) office, sets up the commission and tasks it with drawing the 120 legislative districts for the state’s U.S. Congress, Assembly and Senate elections.
To qualify, an applicant must be a registered voter who has been a member of the same political party or no political party since July 1, 2015. He or she must have also voted in three statewide general elections. The CSA also employs other criteria to narrow down the pool of applicants.
Last year, a total of 30,000 Californians applied to be on the commission, which gets narrowed down through eligibility requirements, essay questions and letters of recommendation. A random drawing reduces the applicant pool to 60, leaders of the state legislature, further reduce the list that the state auditor and the preliminary members of the commission bring down to the final 12.
The commission hires its own staff and works independently within pre-set guidelines established by the CSA. Commissioners are paid a stipend of between $300 – $400 per week and all expenses related to work will be reimbursed.
“Nationally, we are seen as the alternative, the model, of how you can do redistricting better and in a more inclusive way,” says Connie Malloy, another member of the 2010 commission.
To apply or track demographics visit: shapecaliforniasfuture.auditor.ca.gov.
Community
Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race
POST NEWS GROUP — Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run.
The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:
Brenda Grisham. A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, she pledges to work with local, state, and federal partners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.
Barbara Lee. A former congressional representative and state Assembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved major successes in addressing some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, dramatically reducing crime, and making significant inroads into homelessness and illegal dumping.
Mindy Pechenuk. An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.
Julius Robinson. While little information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall, stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community but lack infrastructure and leadership.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of August 12 – 18, 2026
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of August 12 – 18, 2026
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Commentary
COMMENTARY: Why Local School Tax Measure G1 Will Not Be on the November Ballot
POST NEWS GROUP — Measure G1 is the local tax measure that supports middle school teacher retention and the expansion of arts, music, and world language programs at both OUSD middle schools and charter middle schools. The current measure expires in 2029.
There has been considerable speculation recently about why Measure G1 will not appear on the November ballot and what that means for the Oakland Unified School District’s current budget.
I want to provide some clarity about what happened and, importantly, what did not happen.
Measure G1 is the local tax measure that supports middle school teacher retention and the expansion of arts, music, and world language programs at both OUSD middle schools and charter middle schools. The current measure expires in 2029.
Because these funds are important to our schools and to the continuity of these programs, the district initially intended to place a renewal initiative on the November ballot to provide greater early certainty about funding beyond the expiration of the current measure.
As part of that process, the Board scheduled a special meeting for the required public hearing on the ballot initiative. There has been some suggestion that this meeting was noticed only one day in advance. That is not accurate.
Public hearings of this nature are subject to specific notice requirements, and the meeting must be noticed at least two weeks before the hearing. In practice, the notice may appear even earlier depending on publication schedules. The notice for the Measure G1 public hearing was published in the Tribune on 7/24/2026 and 7/31/2026.
So, why wasn’t the Measure G1 paperwork ultimately filed?
After the Board approved placing the measure on the ballot, the next step required the Alameda County Superintendent of Schools to sign the necessary paperwork before it could be submitted to the Oakland City Clerk.
During that process, Alameda County Superintendent Alysse Castro raised concerns about potential litigation stemming from another court case unrelated to OUSD and about whether proceeding with the measure could expose the district or County to legal challenges. Superintendent Castro’s action is unprecedented and concerning.
It is important to distinguish between the Board’s decision to pursue Measure G1 and the subsequent procedural and legal issues that arose. The Board did approve moving forward with the measure. The measure did not fail because the Board chose not to support it, nor was the public hearing improperly noticed.
The decision not to proceed with the November ballot was made in light of the County’s concerns about potential litigation and the County’s required approval process.
We also need to be clear about what this does, and does not, mean for OUSD’s current budget. The existing Measure G1 funds remain available through the expiration of the current measure in 2029. The immediate issue is the longer-term continuity of funding beyond that date, not the elimination of these resources from the current year’s budget.
Our responsibility as a Board is to protect the educational programs and services our students depend on while ensuring that our decisions comply with the law and protect the district from unnecessary legal and financial risk.
We will continue working to understand the County’s concerns, explore our options, and advocate for the resources our students deserve. Our middle school students, teachers, and school communities deserve stability, and continued investment in arts, music, world languages, and teacher retention—and that work remains a priority for Oakland Unified.
Jennifer Brouhard is a retired OUSD educator and is the current OUSD School Board President representing District 2.
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Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race
Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops
Oakland Post: Week of August 12 – 18, 2026
COMMENTARY: Why Local School Tax Measure G1 Will Not Be on the November Ballot
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Congresswoman Simon Demands Investigation into Trump’s Abuse of Emergency Powers for Coal Export Terminal in West Oakland
Department of Homeland Security Demands California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber Scrub Voter Rolls
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New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial
“The Power to See Threats Sooner”: Gov. Newsom, Safety Officials Showcase California’s Investments in Hi-Tech Wildfire Prevention
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Surveillance Pricing Fight: State Senate Debates Bill Banning Retailers from Using AI to Set Prices Based on a Buyer’s Profile
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California Sen. Padilla Joins Colleagues to Introduce Bill Imposing Term Limits on Supreme Court Justices
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