On the Central Valley and Sierra foothills in California's redistricting

This analysis from John Myers for the Los Angeles Times focuses on last-minute redistricting commission changes that would keep San Joaquin County, home of Stockton, in a single district.  San Joaquin County, like much of the Central Valley, is popularly thought of as rural because of its agricultural orientation, but like other counties up and down the valley, it has a large population.  Keeping San Joaquin County together means that other counties south of it will suffer more slicing and dicing.  One district that will look especially messy is one to the south of San Joaquin, which Myers describes.  Since it's a zero-sum game, the decision to keep San Joaquin together had implications for other districts, most notably it put Modesto, county seat of Stanislaus County to the South, "into the large eastern Sierra congressional district... now home to portions of 10 counties with what looks like two pincher-like arms on a map: one near Modesto, the other on the outskirts of Madera" which is further south still, between Merced and Fresno counties.  That district will include various eastern Sierra counties.

Further north, a "large congressional district was drawn from Clearlake down to the vineyards of Napa and Sonoma and then east to the college town of Davis. And Sacramento County, formerly proposed for four congressional districts, is now mostly contained in just two."  

Coverage from the local Fox affiliate earlier in the week is here.  Coverage from Cal Matters is here.  Coverage from Politico is here.