Calif. shake-up of congressional delegation

The retirement of Rep. Jerry Lewis, dean of the California House GOP, is the sixth and most significant departure from Congress after a new redistricting plan, portending a dramatic shake-up of the state's delegation.

California, after a decade in which only one seat flipped between Democrats and Republicans, now faces an election with about a dozen competitive races. Some predict that at least nine California newcomers could arrive in Washington in the next Congress.

Lewis is the third veteran Republican to leave, and his departure is likely to weaken the state's clout in Congress, where seniority still counts.

Three Democrats are also retiring. It is unclear whether the number of Democrats to Republicans will change. The delegation will be far different with a number of new faces.

The changes have been largely induced by California's new law in which citizens rather than politicians drew political maps. Every decade redistricting triggers a rash of retirements and elective-office hopscotching, but this time, changes are particularly intense, said Dan Schnur, director of USC's Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics.

"Redistricting is always the political version of musical chairs, except with switchblades," Schnur said. "But the last redistricting was done by the Legislature, which was specifically motivated to protect incumbents in both parties." The parties dispute how many seats they could gain or lose in the next election. Democrats now outnumber Republicans 34 to 19. One independent analyst predicts a Democratic pickup of two to three seats.

Lewis, a fixture of California politics since Ronald Reagan was governor, announced his retirement days after Republican Reps. Elton Gallegly Wally Herger of Chico said they will leave Congress when their terms expire. Democrats Dennis Cardoza and Lynn Woolsey also are retiring. Democrat Rep. Bob Filner is running for mayor of San Diego.

"After months of consultation with loved ones and family, my wife Arlene and I have decided to retire from public life," said Lewis, 77. Lewis was first elected to Congress in 1978 after serving a decade in Sacramento. He too will leave Congress when his term expires in January.

Lewis had an impressive resume that a newcomer would need years to match. He is a former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, former No. 3 in House Republican leadership; former head of his state's Republican delegation and a major fundraiser for the party.

Democratic-leaning California has had considerable influence in the House under Republican rule and Democratic control, largely because of the seniority its members have accumulated from running in safe districts.

"California is losing a tremendous amount of influence in Washington with the recent retirements of Jerry, Wally Herger, and Elton Gallegly," said Rep. Gary G. Miller, R-Calif. "We are losing decades of seniority with these retirements and it will mean California's congressional delegation has to work that much harder to protect California's interests." Lewis' decision set off a chain of musical chairs among those eager to replace him.

Wasting no time, Miller, who was facing a tough intraparty fight against Republican Rep. Ed Royce, announced plans to run in a new San Bernardino County district where Lewis' home is located. Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar, a Democrat, announced his candidacy for the same district.

In the end, the 2012 races could produce a less partisan crop of representatives, Schnur predicted.

"The irony is that while redistricting may have encouraged Jerry Lewis to retire, it's likely to create more Jerry Lewises in both parties -- people who can work across party lines," Schnur said. "You lose some seniority in both parties with all the retirements, but hopefully you gain an additional level of responsiveness." Shaun Bowler, a UC Riverside political scientist, said 2012 could be a defining election for California Republicans. Along with more competitive districts, the new "top two" primary system that sends the two candidates with the most votes to the general election -- regardless of party -- could push the GOP in a more moderate direction.

"The GOP has taken itself out of statewide races, and even in federal races, because it's become so extreme," Bowler said. "The question is, will the GOP come out of this churning with more moderate candidates, meaning more electable candidates?" (END OPTIONAL TRIM) Further changes to the face of the delegation loom.

House Rules Committee Chairman David has yet to say whether he will run for reelection in a new district. . Rep. Howard L. Berman the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, faces a tough race against fellow Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman in a new San Fernando Valley district. And Democratic Reps. Laura Richardson and Janice Hahn are running against each other in a new southeast Los Angeles County district.

Republican San Bernardino County District Attorney. Michael Ramos, once considered the favorite to replace Lewis, said Thursday he would not run.

Lewis' retirement also touched off a flurry of action in the neighboring 8th Congressional District, which runs from Yucaipa to Mono Lake, since Lewis had considered running for the more Republican-friendly seat.

San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt announced his candidacy within minutes of Lewis' retirement. Republican Assemblyman Paul Cook also jumped into the race.

"It's a very independent, very anti-government area. People don't trust Sacramento and they don't trust Washington," Cook said Thursday. "So you can't follow the old party line. This is a new age." (END OPTIONAL TRIM) Lewis, in an interview, said redistricting was a factor in his decision to retire, but more important was his sense that "the American public is saying to all of Congress. ... 'Let's get some fresh voices.'" Lewis also cited the increasingly partisan atmosphere in Washington.

"That lack of ability to deal with each other across the aisle, the lack of sane discussion between both sides, has been frustrating to me and hasn't made the place as pleasant as it used to be," he said.

Lewis, described by his office as the longest-serving Republican member of Congress from California ever, began serving the year Jimmy Carter was president and Barack Obama was enrolling at Occidental College in Los Angeles.

Lewis has been cheered -- and vilified -- for earmarking millions of federal dollars to his Inland Empire districts.

But with Republicans determined to reduce the federal deficit, opportunities to bring home the bacon have diminished. Lewis also lost an effort to win back the Appropriations Committee chairmanship last year.

He came under scrutiny a few years ago for his ties to lobbyists whose clients received millions of dollars in congressional earmarks. But federal authorities in 2010 closed their investigation.

Willon reported from the Inland Empire, Calif. Times staff writer Jean Merl in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com. Distributed by MCT Information Services.