As 42nd District Assembly-member Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) terms out in 2012, with dates to officially file as a candidate still undetermined and the district’s boundaries unknown, several contenders have already announced their intent to run for the office.

Jeff Prang, David Hernandez, Jr., Andrew Lachman and Brian Johnson have already filed their letters of intent to run with the secretary of state’s office.

“Of course it’s frustrating knowing that there are some tremendous unknowns,” said Prang, a 14-year West Hollywood city councilmember.

These days, political campaigns are extremely expensive because of the sheer size of districts in California, so the intention to run and fundraising process can begin up to two years before the official election, Prang said.

“All I know is I am going to be in a district, and there is going to be an election,” said Hernandez, a community advocate and North Hollywood resident since 1955.

Tasked with redrawing the 40 senate and 80 assembly district lines, the Citizens Redistricting Commission has been holding public hearings and meetings to discuss reapportionment with the community.

Ideally, the commission will create districts of relatively equal populations that will provide fair representation for Californians using data collected in the 2010 U.S. Census, according to its website. The commission’s drawings will not become official until after they have been certified and submitted to the secretary of state on August 15.

“It’s a bit of gamble raising money and collecting support hoping that the [district boundary] lines will allow me to continue forward,” Prang said, but he has already begun garnering support in the community.

Despite these circumstances, candidates across the state have begun their respective campaigns.

“Some people might feel intimidated by not knowing where the district lines are … there may be some people who would be cautious to commit but those people would be cautious anyway,” said Lachman, adjunct faculty at Woodbury University and former president of the Mid City West Community Council.

For Johnson, executive director of the Larchmont Schools, it was simply a matter of getting into the fight.

“California is at a crossroads, and we need people willing to fight for California’s future in Sacramento,” Johnson said, “It’s not something I thought could be done or prepared for in a few short months, that’s why I jumped in early. Look, these are big districts with almost a half-a-million people and the bar is high for candidates to get out to as many people as possible and that just takes time, and money.”

Of the four initial candidates with intent to run for the 42nd assembly district, Hernandez and Prang have both agreed to the voluntary expenditure limit for assembly candidates of $518,000 for the primary or special election and $906,000 for the general or runoff.