Do You Have to Live Here to Redistrict?

The local political world has been in a frenzy since reports surfaced Wednesday claiming that a member of San Diego’s Redistricting Commission is not a resident of San Diego.

Local Republicans have called on Commissioner Carlos Marquez to resign after a private investigator who’s an active Republican shadowed Marquez and said he had evidence that Marquez was living in Los Angeles.

Images of Marquez allegedly leaving a Los Angeles apartment and of an affidavit on which the private investigator said Marquez listed a Los Angeles address were broadcast on KUSI and 10News.

But the San Diego City Charter does not say a Commissioner must live in San Diego, only that that each member of the Commission “shall be registered to vote in the City of San Diego.”

That distinction could create a legal gray area that both Republicans and Marquez will try to maneuver to their advantage.

The California Secretary of State’s website says voter registration should always reflect a person’s current residence, unless that residence is temporary.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Marquez is still registered to vote in San Diego.

At its Thursday meeting, the Redistricting Commission asked the City Attorney’s Office to look into the Republican claims, the Union-Tribune reported.

In March, San Diego’s LGBT Center announced that Marquez would step down as its director of public affairs to accept a job as executive director of the Honor Fund, a Los Angeles organization that advocates for LGBT and Latino communities. That would suggest he plans to make a permanent home in Los Angeles.

But Marquez had already been a member of the Commission for several months when that announcement was made. Commissioners were appointed in October.

According to the newspaper, Marquez called the Republican efforts against him “sordid and reprehensible,” and said an investigation would find that he is a San Diego resident.

Please contact Adrian Florido directly at adrian.florido@voiceofsandiego.org or at 619.325.0528 and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/adrianflorido.