LOS ANGELES — The passage of Proposition 50 divided the Southern California district Rep. Linda Sánchez represents — which made her reelection decision more a question about where rather than if.

But Sánchez, a Democrat, says she has made up her mind: She is running in the new California’s 41st Congressional District, which snakes around southern Los Angeles County, but dips a bit into Orange County. The district includes her home of Whittier, is centered on Downey and picks up Bell Gardens, Brea, La Habra, La Mirada, Lakewood and Santa Fe Springs.

“After Proposition 50 passed, deciding where to run was emotional, but ultimately, it was an easy choice — I chose home,” Sánchez first told the Southern California News Group of her decision.

“Our communities aren’t defined by lines on a map. They’re defined by the people who live, work and raise their families here,” Sánchez said. “Boundaries may change, but my commitment to fighting for the people I love will never waver. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together for Southern California, and I’m ready to keep fighting for our communities in Congress when Democrats retake the majority in the next election.”

Sánchez, 56, is an Orange County native and has worked as a labor lawyer. An alumna of UC Berkeley and UCLA Law, she has served in Congress since 2003 and sits on the powerful Ways and Means Subcommittee, the chief tax-writing committee in Congress.

Sánchez kicks off her reelection bid with staunch support from House Democratic leadership, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Minority Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, who represents San Bernardino.

“I’ve seen up close Linda’s relentless fight for working families and her refusal to let corporate special interests or MAGA extremists dictate our nation’s priorities,” said Jeffries, referring to the slogan adopted by President Donald Trump and his allies. “She is a fierce champion for protecting American jobs and rebuilding our economy so it works for all Americans.”

“From leading the charge to fix our broken immigration system to standing up for American workers, Linda Sánchez has never backed away from a fight, no matter the odds,” said Aguilar. “She’s a voice of courage and conviction who shows up every single day to deliver for working families, defend our democracy and hold powerful interests accountable.”

California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, the Democratic-led congressional redistricting measure, in last week’s special election. The measure redraws congressional lines just in time for next year’s midterm elections — shaking up where incumbents are vying to represent. (A note: Congress does not have term limits.)

The current 38th Congressional District, which Sánchez represents now, also spans Los Angeles and Orange counties, but a bit more to the east.

The new 41st Congressional District was drawn to still have more registered Democratic voters (46%) compared to Republicans (26%) and no party preference or other (27%).

Sánchez lives in Whittier with her son and dog, her campaign announcement said, noting that she is one of only 13 women to give birth while serving in Congress.

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