The release of draft maps from the California Citizens Redistricting Commission has naturally created a flurry of news articles — follow along in real time here, if you like — and it’s no wonder. This is the first time in maybe forever that decennial  shuffle was not undertaken by the state legislature directly, and so the process was out of the hands of political parties.

“The districts were drawn for the first time without regard to the incumbents’ home addresses or party affiliation — and the end results are districts with fewer odd-looking arms and fingers along with a plethora of incumbents who no longer live in their districts,” as the Mercury-News put it a few moments ago. So there’s a good degree of panic all around.

Two of the provisionally de-districted candidates currently represent Humboldt County, among other locales — Congressman Mike Thompson and State Senator Noreen Evans. Earlier today, we were pretty sure that Evans was taken from us, along with all of Santa Rosa, but we were later able to confirm it. The senator’s Sacramento spokesperson told the LoCO as much Friday afternoon, but said that neither he nor the senator had been able to pay much attention to the matter as of yet; the senate was in budget hearings all day, dealing with a different sort of shitstorm.

Rep. Mike Thompson is supposed to be giving us a call sometime, but we can be fairly certain that he’s none too chuffed at the moment. In response to the non-maps released last week, he told the Press-Democrat that he “doesn’t understand the logic” of splitting off Napa County from the First District and hooking it up to Yuba City instead.

The Citizens Redistricting Commission’s second round of drafts are set to be released July 7. Can slighted legislators such as Thompson or Evans do anything in the meanwhile? Not terribly likely: As Comissioner Gabino Aguirre reminded everyone in a press conference today, it’s part of the commission’s mandate to ignore the issue of incumbency when drawing new lines. So a de-districted candidate can’t make the case that lines should be drawn to accomodate his or her personal interest; they’ll have to get inventive and make some sort of larger case. Finding one that doesn’t strain credulity is going to be a tough nut.

Is it curtains for Thompson, then? Well, as LoCO commenter “tra” pointed out today — to my total surprise — California congressmen don’t actually have to reside in the district they represent. Thompson could run for the (hypothetical) Del Norte-to-Marin coastal Congressional district without actually residing in it. Or he could up sticks and move across the line. But then he’d probably be facing a bitter challenge from the Democratic establishment in richie-rich Marin County — Jared Huffman, anyone? — and that would be a headache and a half.

We shall see. It’s gonna be a ride, folks!