There has been a lot of consternation from a number of organizations over the last year about whether the California Citizens Redistricting Commission would be a diverse group. Well, the final six were selected this week and hopefully the skeptics who have been critical of the Commission at every turn will now turn their attention to making the redistricting process the most transparent and meaningful for California’s diverse population.
The 6 new and final members of Commission chosen today are Gabino Aguirre, Lilbert Ontai, Michelle DiGuilio-Matz, Maria Blanco, Michael Ward, Andre Parvenu. They join Vincent Barabba, Cynthia Dai, Jodie Filkins Webber, Stanley Forbes, Connie Galambos Malloy, Elaine Kuo, Jeanne Raya, and Peter Yao.
I believe the 14 member commission includes 4 Latinos (including 1 person of mixed heritage), 4 Asian American, 3 whites, 2 African Americans (including one person of mixed heritage), 1 Native American and 1 Pacific Islander. So another first for California—the most diverse state redistricting body ever.