Will Portantino Run Outside Home District?

Anthony Portantino, South Pasadena's current representative in the state Assembly, has  in 2012, but may have to leave his own home district to fulfill them.

A  released last week divides most of the San Gabriel Valley into two congressional districts: the "Foothill" and the "East San Gabriel-Covina." South Pasadena, however, is grouped with "East L.A.—Boyle Heights."

. Council member Philip Putnam spoke on behalf of the City at a redistricting meeting in Whittier Friday night. He requested that instead of drawing the Congressional District boundaries along the east border of South Pas to rather draw the line along the west side of town grouping it with San Gabriel Valley.

South Pasadena's Congressional maps are attached, but .

Resident Alex Maltun wrote to Patch last week about his concerns regarding the Congressional redistricting. "I think they could pose a serious problem for South Pasadena's decades-old fight against the , as well as our town’s other interests," he wrote. 

Portantino's long-time home town is La Canada Flintridge, which is in the Foothill district, along with Altadena, and most other towns with foothill boundaries all the way out to Upland. 

However, that district also includes Glendale, Burbank and northern Pasadena, which means it would be the home district of current Congressman Adam Schiff, who would likely have a lot of support for a reelection bid in the new district.

That would leave the East San Gabriel District as the more viable option for Portantino; there are no laws that prevent a candidate from running in a district he is not a resident in, so Portantino could mount a campaign in that district.

The districts will not be finalized until August, and the boundaries could still change.

Portantino has not returned Patch calls for comment on the subject, but has indicated in messages to supporters and other media reports that he will look at a run in the East San Gabriel-Covina District. 

He is still planning a June 19 fundraiser in Altadena to raise money for a congressional run. He wrote in an e-mail to potential supporters for that event that it would be ideal to have Schiff in the Foothill District and himself in the East San Gabriel district.

"What a benefit it would be to to be represented by Mr. Schiff and have me as a neighboring Congressmember because we will work together," Portantino wrote.

Portantino could be easily cast as an outsider in that district as it is mostly composed of towns that he has never represented.  Towns he has not represented in the district include Baldwin Park, Covina, West Covina, El Monte, Irwindale San Dimas, Azusa, and parts of Glendora and La Verne.  The district does include Duarte, southern Monrovia, and an unincorporated area south of Monrovia, which Portantino does currently represent.

As for how Portantino feels about his chances in the non-foothill district, it depends on the source. He told the Los Angeles Times he feels "totally emboldened" by the new draft plan.

On the other hand, he wrote in his e-mail to supporters that he is "disappointed for myself" based on how the plan turned out.

The new district could set up an interesting match-up between Portantino and Rep. David Dreier, R-San Dimas, who resides in the proposed East San Gabriel district.

Dreier, whose  earlier, would have a challenge since the district would contain more Democratic voters, but if Portantino were his opponent, he would stand the challenge of explaining to voters why La Canada Flintridge politician should represent the East San Gabriel Valley.

Check back later for a recap of the redistricting meeting held in Whittier Friday.