Californians have stripped lawmakers of authority to draw their own political districts and also gave Democrats slightly more clout in the Legislature – unless absentee ballots reverse Wednesday's results.
Proposition 11, the redistricting initiative, was ahead by nearly 99,000 votes – a margin of about one percentage point, with all precincts counted.
The measure would create a 14-member citizens commission to draw legislative and Board of Equalization districts. Lawmakers would continue to decide congressional seats.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other Proposition 11 backers claimed victory Wednesday, but opponents refused to concede with perhaps 3 million absentee and provisional ballots yet uncounted.
"To the governor's call for us to concede, I have a one-word answer: Nuts," said Paul Hefner, spokesman for No on 11.
Tentative results had Democrats gaining two seats in the Assembly and potentially one in the Senate, the 19th District in Southern California, where a virtual tie had Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson edge Tony Strickland by just 108 votes.
Democrats were not able to ride the coattails of a convincing victory by Barack Obama to capture the six Assembly and two Senate seats needed to gain a two-thirds majority in each house.
In the tightest of three key Sacramento-area races, Republican Jack Sieglock won the Election Day tally over Democrat Alyson Huber by one percentage point for the 10th Assembly District seat currently held by Alan Nakanishi, R-Lodi.
But Huber said victory remains possible. Potentially tens of thousands of ballots are uncounted.
"I'm not saying that it's likely, just that we're watching it," she said.
Democrat Joan Buchanan beat San Ramon Mayor Abram Wilson by six percentage points to succeed termed-out Assemblyman Guy Houston, R-San Ramon, in the 15th Assembly District stretching from Contra Costa County to Elk Grove and Galt.
Democrat Lois Wolk easily defeated Republican Greg Aghazarian for the seat of lame-duck Sen. Mike Mach-ado, D-Linden, in the 5th Senate District of Yolo and parts of Sacramento, Solano and San Joaquin counties.
Democrats' net gain of two Assembly seats stemmed from wins by Buchanan; Martin Block, San Diego; and by Manuel Perez, Imperial and Riverside counties. Republican Danny Gilmore snatched the Democratic seat of termed-out Nicole Parra from Hanford.
Californians have rejected redistricting measures five times before considering Proposition 11.
The initiative was fueled by a legislative deal struck in 2001 to protect incumbents of both parties. In the 2004 and 2006 elections, none of 120 legislative seats changed party hands.
Schwarzenegger contends that voter-drawn legislative districts will be more competitive and encourage bipartisanship.
"They're sick and tired of politicians getting stuck in their ideological corners," Schwarzenegger said of voters who backed Proposition 11.
Hefner said the difference simply was money – opponents were outspent by more than 10-to-1.
"I don't think it reflects anything other than that the governor could raise a lot money from the right wing to fund his deceptive ad campaign," Hefner said.
Call Jim Sanders, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 326-5538. Bee Staff Writer Peter Hecht contributed to this report.
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