In Lincoln, California, Anne Smull, a retired feedstore owner, had anticipated voting for her congressional representative, conservative Rep. Kevin Kiley. Due to recent changes, she can no longer do so. California Democrats divided Kiley’s district, joining it with a Democratic-leaning seat, impacting voters like Smull who feel aligned with Kiley’s conservative values.
During a lunch gathering in Lincoln, Smull expressed her disappointment at this redistricting. She described it as feeling “sneaky and underhanded.” Several Democratic voters comprehend Smull’s frustrations, as Republican-controlled states have also redrawn districts to benefit their own parties, influenced by a 2020 Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act.
Democratic-leaning regions from Texas to Tennessee have been dissected to weaken their voting power by merging them with conservative areas. California Democrats followed suit, creating new Democratic-leaning seats and reshaping Rep. Kiley’s district. Kiley, formerly a Republican, is now running as an independent.
He opposed partisan gerrymandering and criticized the political divide it fosters. Democrats remain skeptical of his independence, pointing out his history of GOP support and noting that Republican-backed organizations still endorse him.
Even John Coburn, a Kiley supporter, believes Kiley’s independent status was motivated by re-election strategy due to the new district map. Coburn, frustrated with the redistricting, emphasizes the control Democrats exert over Republican voices in California. He dismisses actions in other states, focusing on the lack of representation for Republicans in California.
For Democrats, these shifts present opportunities. Democrat Richard Pan, running against Kiley, doubts Kiley’s recent shift to independence, referencing his ties to Trump’s campaign. In contrast, Kathleen Crawford, chair of the county Democratic Party, is optimistic about the redistricting offering the chance for Democratic representation.
In Lincoln, political dynamics have transformed due to housing shifts from the San Francisco Bay Area. While some locals, like Democrat Ed Church and conservative Wesley Johnson, express varying degrees of support and skepticism for Kiley, they identify a lack of fair representation as the larger concern. Johnson voiced frustration over Northern California’s diminished influence, echoed by others noting the bipartisan nature of redistricting maneuvers.