California Republicans: The Ever-Shrinking Permanent Minority

Reapportionment, the careful drawing of district boundaries every 10 years, means that California’s legislative and congressional seats almost never shift from one party to the other. This year could be different. Some powerful California Republicans could be in for a shock—especially if Barack Obama wins in a landslide. The second spot on every ballot features the candidates for Congress. In Sacramento, Republicans and Democrats got together during the last reapportionment in 2002. They agreed to draw district boundaries that maintained the partisan balance with Democrats in the majority, but short of the two thirds required to pass the budget. Now that deal may come unraveled.