| Although the idea has been around for a while, only today has it sparked outrage. That's largely because, for the first time, rumors abound that Assemblyman John Wisniewski has offered up such a map. If these rumors are true, then the anger at Wisniewski is warranted. As state party chair and one of five Democrats on the commission, Wisniewski ought to advance the best interests of the Democratic party; instead, he appears to be positioning himself for an open seat Senate Race. This kind of self-dealing is inexcusable.
My problem with Wisniewski's rumored plan is not so much the people who are harmed by it ("two of our state legislature's brightest progressive lights") but the self-serving nature of his alleged conduct. What happens in the next week will determine the fate of Democrats in the Legislature for the next decade, and Wisniewski's tenure as party chair will largely be measured by his performance in redistricting. As a representative of the party on the commission, his job is to secure the best possible outcome for the Democratic party and for Democratic legislators, not to land the cushiest job for himself. The stakes for the Democratic party in New Jersey are so high that its chairman must focus on its interests before he worries his own, if he thinks about his own interests at all.
Because the state's population has shifted significantly in the last decade, this redistricting process will involve casualties. Some of these casualties will be Democrats, and some of the Democrats may be progressive. Valerie Huttle, Gordon Johnson, and Joan Voss may be forced into a single district. Dan Benson may face a difficult re-election fight (or a difficult run for an open Senate seat) if Democratic Middlesex County towns are removed from the 14th. Ray Lesniak may be forced into a primary with either Nick Scutari or Teresa Ruiz. Hawthorne may be drawn out of the 35th, which might mean no more John Girgenti in the State Senate, but might also mean no Senator Jeff Gardner either.
If Wisniewski does his job well, the cycle will also present new opportunities for Democrats, including progressive Democrats. If Hawthorne is drawn out of the 35th, the district's first Latina Assemblywoman, Nellie Pou, may become its first Latina State Senator. Shifting population may force map-makers to create a new district in southern Middlesex County, which, if it includes Plainsboro, will open up the Senate seat in the 14th. If Democrats can increase their strength in one of the two Burlington County districts, they might be able to put one of those senate seats in play. Democrats might also try to make the suburban 16th and 21st districts more competitive.
As leader of the party and presumably the party's redistricting efforts, Wisniewski may, at some point, have to put one or more incumbent Democrats in harm's way in order to win the support of tiebreaker Alan Rosenthal. If it is necessary to weaken one incumbent Democrat or pit two incumbent Democrats against each in order to secure a winning map for the Democratic party, Wisniewski should not hesitate to do so. I would offer praise, not criticism, for such a decision. But if he pursues his own interest before his party's, then Democrats will lose faith in him, and he may lose the legislature for the Democratic party. |
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