Seat isn't official, but it may be reserved

County Supervisor Solis has her eye on new House district, keeping rivals at bay.

- BY JULIA WICK

HILDA SOLIS, left, at the Democratic convention in 2024, has long been a starring player in county politics.

As Gov. Gavin Newsom's push to redraw California’s congressional maps plays out at the state Capitol and on the national stage, a quieter but no less bloody scramble is simultaneously underway.

Newsom's plan — a bid to counter President Trump's drive for more GOP House seats with his own California show of force — was approved by the state Legislature on Thursday, putting it on the ballot in November to let voters decide its fate.

But behind the scenes, consultants, lawmakers and would-be candidates already are jockeying for position in the newly competitive or vastly redrawn districts that may soon exist across the state.

As rumblings emerged that there probably would be a new southeast Los Angeles County congressional seat — later confirmed by the official maps released last week — political watchers braced for a full-on feeding frenzy. A fresh seat in a safe Democratic district can be a once-in-a-generation opportunity, particularly in a region crowded with ambitious politicians.

But a race that doesn’t even officially exist yet seems to already be practically tied up with a bow.

L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis hasn't publicly announced her candidacy. But she’s made her intention to run for the redrawn 38th District clear within the close-knit world of California politics. And other would-be candidates appear to be staying out of the veteran politician's way.

In the brass-knuckles world of southeast L.A. County politics, Solis, 67, has long been a starring player.

She previously served in Congress and the statehouse before becoming one of the five “little queens” holding the reins of the county kingdom.