Politics & Government

Congressman Pete Stark Gaining Pleasanton

Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Leandro, Castro Valley and a portion of San Ramon moving to Congressman Pete Stark's 13th Congressional District.

Congressman Pete Stark’s district is shifting east under a new congressional district map proposed by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission today.

The commission is drawing up new districts for Congress, State Senate, State Assembly and the state Board of Equalization.

They officially released their final preliminary maps this morning. The commission will take public input over the next two weeks. They are scheduled to approve those maps on Aug. 15.

Find out what's happening in Pleasantonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Much like in the first draft, Union City remains intact in what is currently the 13th Congressional District, represented by Stark, a Fremont Democrat. The district itself, however, faces changes.

Currently, the district encompasses the southern and westernmost portions of the county, including Alameda, Fremont, Hayward, Newark, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Sunol, Union City, along with parts of Oakland and Pleasanton.

Find out what's happening in Pleasantonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The new map shows the district moving east, separating Union City from its Tri-City counterparts — all of Newark and a majority of Fremont shifts south into a district comprised mostly of Santa Clara County cities. The district also drops Alameda and Oakland.

The district instead picks up more of San Leandro, Castro Valley and Pleasanton, along with all of Dublin and Livermore and a portion of San Ramon.

San Ramon Mayor H. Abram Wilson was livid about San Ramon being split off from Danville and Alamo.

"I think it's horrendous and shows plain ignorance," he said. "The commission doesn't understand how the towns in the valley work together as a unit."

Union City Mayor Mark Green believes the new drawing could give the district more influence in Congress.

"You have a very strong southern Alameda County seat with that area," he said in a previous interview.

The new lines would also move Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton) out of his district. McNerney currently represents the 11th Congressional District, which straddles portions of the East Bay and the more conservative Central Valley.

McNerney announced Thursday he is moving to San Joaquin County and running in 2012 in a new district that includes Lodi and Stockton as well as eastern Contra Costa County.

Stark, first elected to Congress in 1973, was unavailable for comment. There's no official word from his office on whether he will seek re-election.


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