Congressman Pete Stark’s district is shifting east and leaving Newark, according to a new congressional district map proposed by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission Friday.
The commission is drawing up new districts for Congress, State Senate, State Assembly and the state Board of Equalization.
Final preliminary maps were officially released this morning, and the commission will take public input over the next two weeks. They are scheduled to approve those maps on Aug. 15.
Currently, the Newark falls in the 13th District, which encompasses the southern and westernmost portions of the county, including: Alameda, Fremont, Hayward, Newark, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Sunol, Union City, along with and parts of Oakland and Pleasanton.
The new map shows the district moving east, leaving all of Newark and a majority of Fremont, which will shift south into a district comprised mostly of Santa Clara County cities — and dropping Alameda and Oakland.
Newark city officials have said they hoped to stay with the Tri-Cities, particularly in the congressional district. Councilmembers Ana Apodaca and Al Nagy but expressed their hopes that Newark would stay in a congressional district with Alameda County during a city council meeting in late June.
"I certainly can’t disagree with that. Congressional district is the one with most tilt to it," Mayor David Smith said at that same meeting.
Union City will remain with the 13th District, which will pick 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.
If Stark, a veteran lawmaker first elected to Congress in 1973, steps down, McNerney could make a run for the new district seat.
Stark was unavailable for comment but no official word has yet been released from his office on whether he will seek re-election.
