Redistricting in California changes boundaries in South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The 2020 Census shows El Dorado County grew by about 10,000 residents with the largest percentage of those new residents on the western slope, and that will be changing the supervisorial boundaries.

The population estimate in 2020 was 191,185, and since then another 2,036 people have moved into El Dorado County.

Every decade the census is completed and the boundaries of elected officials from supervisors up to congress members are adjusted if necessary to match the population at the time.

In El Dorado County, about 12,805 people will be changing their supervisor district due to populations shifts. District 5, where South Lake Tahoe and Meyers are located, is expanding further to the southwest.

District 1 - 37,579 residents. As much of the El Dorado Hills population as possible has been kept in a single district.
District 2 - 40,320 residents. Contains all of the communities of Bass Lake, the entire community of Cameron Park, and much of the South County, including Somerset, Pleasant Valley, and Grizzly Flat.
District 3 - 37,437 residents. The City of Placerville, east to Camino and Cedar Grove, south to El Dorado/Diamond Springs, and includes the Missouri Flat Master Circulation and Financing Plan Area.
District 4 - 37,413 residents. Shingle Springs, Rescue and ‘The Divide’, defined as the large land area including the communities of Kelsey and Garden Valley to the South, Cool to the West, the Placer/El Dorado County line to the North, and Silver/Slab Creek to the East, and much of the North County.
District 5 - 38,436 residents. Pollock Pines, south to the Sly Park communities, and east to South Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Basin.

The areas with the most change are in the boundaries of the congressional, senate, and assembly districts.

South Shore residents are now in Congressional District 3, Senate District 4, Assembly District 1, and Board of Equalization District 1. (see interactive map here). Before the final map was approved on Dec. 20, 2021, these district boundaries saw several different variations. The final map has split up El Dorado County and residents will now rest in different congressional and assembly districts.

El Dorado County used to be in Senate District 1, where Senator Brian Dahle served the area. Now, the whole county is in Senate District 4. There are no incumbents running for the district though one of the candidates is retired Judge Stephen Bailey from South Lake Tahoe.

Most of El Dorado County voters, including those in South Lake Tahoe and Meyers, will be voting in Congressional District 3 while the western end remains in District 5 with Congressman Tom McClintock. Frank Bigelow is the current representative for District 3. Only McClintock is running for reelection.

Another split for El Dorado County is for the assembly. East of Placerville is now Assembly District 1, the western part of the county is Assembly District 5. The current state assembly person for District 1 is Meghan Dahle whose husband is a state senator. State Assembly District 5 has two newcomers runnings for the office.

Slower population growth in California meant the state lost one of its 53 U.S. House seats this year.

These districts take effect with the June 2022 primaries and continue for the next decade. Redistricting happens once every 10 years, after every census, to ensure that each district has the same amount of people. It’s the second time that California’s redrawing is being done by a 14-member independent commission.

Assemblymember Kevin Kiley of Rocklin announced that he’s running in the new 3rd District now that fellow Republican Tom McClintock of Elk Grove is seeking reelection in the 5th District, just to the south. Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. John Garamendi of Walnut Grove said he will seek re-election in the new 8th District, which includes Contra Costa and Solano counties. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, a Concord Democrat, will run in the neighboring 10th.

To keep California’s less populous mountain communities together, for example, an earlier version of the maps showed a district stretching from the Oregon border to San Bernardino County. While compactness is one of the lower-ranking criteria, the district still raised eyebrows and was later revised. Overall, the new districts are less compact than the existing ones, but are better at not splitting cities, according to an analysis by the Public Policy Institute of California.

The elections department from El Dorado County will be sending out new boundary information by email to voters whose email addresses are on file, and mailing to those who don't.

The primary for 2022 will be held on June 7, with the election on November 8.