Labor's "Unity" redistricting map rejected, Cohen's compromise plan gains Council approval

In a resounding defeat for the anti-Asian gerrymander efforts of Labor and local progressive nonprofits, the San Jose City Council embraced a middle ground redistricting plan championed by D4 Councilmember David Cohen. Through a series of votes on the precise details of the plan, the council refuted the false race-baiting claims hilariously floated by local progressives and endorsed a map that meets both legal and ethical parameters of good faith redistricting. City Hall Insiders provide a brief review of the major issues below.

• Did the new map disallow the efforts of the labor map to dilute and suppress Asian and other minority community votes?

Labor's efforts to dilute the Asian vote in heavily Vietnamese-populated D7 were reversed after intense pushback from the community. Additionally, Labor's efforts to split the Portuguese community in D3 were reversed after pushback from the community.

• Did the new map substantially keep historic communities of interest together?

The map ultimately kept many historic neighborhoods--such as Japantown, Willow Glen and Little Portugal--intact.

• Does the new map allow for similar district population sizes?

Roughly equal populations were established, keeping within the legal deviation of 10% from lowest to highest.

• Did the new map minimize vast population moves from one district to another?

Vast population moves from D3, D6 and D9 were thwarted. Although as part of the reconfiguring of D2 and D10 from a north/south to east/west orientation, large numbers of people ended up swapping districts.

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Photo taken by Erica Fischer