California congressional delegation faces shakeup

Carolyn Lochhead, SF Chronicle

With 17-term Republican Rep. Jerry Lewis of San Bernardino announcing his retirement Thursday, following retirements of two GOP veterans this week, California's huge congressional delegation could see its biggest shakeup in two decades.

The state's new map of congressional districts, drawn by a 14-member redistricting commission, is expected to yield more open seats, more competitive elections and possibly three to five new Democrats in the House.

That has some Democrats salivating at the prospect that they could regain the House majority and reinstall San Francisco Democrat Nancy Pelosi as speaker.

But the new maps also will dilute California's power in Washington. The state has the largest congressional delegation in the nation, with 53 members. Many of them, like Lewis, have decades of seniority.

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