After months of consideration, the Clovis City Council has approved the first council districts in the city’s history.
The new districts will take effect over the next two election cycles.
The big picture: The city council voted 4-1 to approve map 502, which places two districts in the northern half of the city and three in the southern.
- Councilwoman Diane Pearce cast the lone vote against map 502, saying she was in favor of map 508 because it kept more of the at-large feel that the city had for over a century.
- Here’s a look at map 502:
- Here’s map 508, which Pearce supported:
Zoom in: Each district has around 24,000 residents, although District 1 is furthest off the average with 23,139.
- District 1 also has the city’s largest Hispanic population share at 43.9%, while Districts 4 and 5 have the lowest at 24% each. Districts 4 and 5 have the largest white population share at 55% and 56%, respectively.
- District 3 has the largest Asian population share at 22%, with the next highest being District 4 at 14%.
What we’re watching: Districts 1,4, and 5 will be up for election in 2026, with Districts 2 and 3 coming up in 2028.
- District 1 will be an open seat since none of the current councilmembers live in the area. Councilmembers Pearce and Matt Basgall live in District 4, and Councilman Drew Bessinger lives in District 5.
- Councilmembers Lynne Ashbeck and Vong Mouanoutoua live in Districts 2 and 3, respectively.
The backstory: Clovis made the decision to move away from at-large districts after facing a potential lawsuit under the California Voting Rights Act from Malibu attorney Kevin Shenkman on behalf of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project.
- Shenkman accused the city of preventing Latino voters from having their choice of candidates.
- He has a history of threatening lawsuits against many cities throughout California to do away with at-large districts, and this is not the first time he has impacted Clovis. Shenkman threatened Clovis Unified School District with a lawsuit in June 2023, which spurned CUSD to implement district-based elections.
