member of Congress

“If routine oversight can be obstructed for political reasons, no member of Congress is immune,” he said.

There are already some announced Democratic candidates in those races, but a sitting member of Congress would likely have a higher statewide profile, and could potentially run a competitive race.

Alford is far from the only Republican member of Congress to face an unfriendly crowd in his own district.

“The L.A. delegation gets one more member of Congress when this is all over, and that member will be elected by the Latino community,” said Paul Mitchell, the political data expert tapped by Newsom to draw the new lines.

Across the table, Kim Heuckel, 58, said she agreed but also wondered whether a member of Congress from a more urban area could properly represent the needs of her district.