Yao is in!

Peter Yao will be serving on the Citizens Redistricting Commission. The councilmember was chosen among the 36 finalists out of an initial pool of nearly 31,000 applicants.

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime," he said.

This morning, 3 Republicans, 3 Democrats and 2 from other parties were selected randomly by the State Auditor to serve on the commission. The 8 selected are now tasked with choosing the final 6 to form the 14-member commission.

Yao's selection means he will resign from the Claremont city council sometime before the end of the year. He will not seek another term on the council in the March 2011 election and is barred from serving as an elected officials for the next 10 years.

The commission is charged with redrawing California's Senate, Assembly, State Board of Equalization and Congressional districts based on information gathered during the 2010 census. Their work will continue until September 2011.

Yao finalist in state commission selection

Councilmember Peter Yao has made the final cut for the Citizens Redistricting Commission, charged with redrawing California's Senate, Assembly, State Board of Equalization and Congressional districts based on information gathered during the 2010 census.

The 36 remaining candidates, 12 Democrats, 12 Republicans, and 12 not affiliated with either of those two parties, are hoping to be selected to the 14-member commission.

Eight of the final 14 commissioners will be selected randomly tomorrow morning in Sacramento by the State Auditor. The event will be live streamed here for those interested in watching. It begins at 10 a.m.

The State Auditor must randomly draw the first 8 names—3 Republicans, 3 Democrats and 2 that are either Decline-to-State or belong to another party. Those first 8 commissioners will then select the final 6—2 from each subpool—by December 31, 2010, to form the Commission.

Good luck Peter!