BlueJersey's Jay Lassiter on Friday's Radio Times

by: Jay Lassiter

Fri Oct 21, 2011 at 07:28:15 AM EDT

With the election just 17 days away, there's a lot to debate -- pension benefits, NJN RIP, Marriage and marijuana -- and I hope you'll call in to join in the fun. The number is 1-888-477-WHYY (1-888-477-9499)

Redistricting Apathy

by: deciminyan

Thu Sep 22, 2011 at 04:17:46 PM EDT

Held in a mostly-empty auditorium on the Rutgers-Camden campus, the hearings were chaired by Rutgers-Newark Law School Dean and former State Attorney General John Farmer, Jr . On the stage, Farmer was flanked by the six Democratic and six Republican members of the Commission.

The half dozen witnesses were comprised of politicians, gadflies, and a solitary union leader. There were no representatives from the minority communities or even the ubiquitous Tea Party.

Perhaps the reason for the lack of public input was the fact that the venue was not formally announced until after Blue Jersey poked the Commission on Tuesday of this week, and the meeting was held during working hours.

While the rules for Congressional redistricting are generally stricter than those for the legislature, keep in mind that the work that this Commission does will determine district boundaries for the next five Congressional election cycles. And while redistricting probably won't correct the gender imbalance in our Congressional delegation, the lines that are drawn will have a big impact on minority representation.

Let's hope for a better turnout at the October 11 sessions in Newark and New Brunswick. The commission's web site is njredistrictingcommission.org.

Dean Farmer spoke with Blue Jersey after the session. His comments are below the fold.

Redistricting Opacity

by: deciminyan

Tue Sep 20, 2011 at 08:58:42 AM EDT

The (Redistricting) Calm Before the Storm

by: deciminyan

Tue Sep 06, 2011 at 03:15:00 PM EDT

The session today was a formality, with no substantive issues discussed. By-laws were adopted and a Committee Secretary was appointed. The committee, which consists of six Democrats, six Republicans, and a mutually-agreed-upon independent tiebreaker, will re-draw the congressional election districts based on the population shifts enumerated in the 2010 U.S. Census.

There will be at least three public hearings, where advocacy groups can go on record and suggest parameters for the new maps. The first will be at Rutgers-Camden on September 22, and two others will be scheduled, most likely on the Rutgers campuses in New Brunswick and Newark.

State Democratic Party Chairman Assemblyman John Wisniewski led a similar effort earlier this year to redraw the lines of New Jersey's legislative districts. He spoke today with Blue Jersey about the congressional redistricting - the video of his interview is below the fold.

Tea Party challenges not only redistricting, but constitution itself; judge says no

by: the_promised_land

Wed Aug 31, 2011 at 12:40:35 PM EDT

Democratic State Party chair John Wisniewski welcomed the ruling, stating in a press release that "We commend the court's decision to dismiss the Tea Party's litigation over the current map.  Not a single count in the Tea Party's complaint was found to have merit and rightfully so." Wisniewski further cited the "unprecedented public input" in the process including 28 hours of public testimony in 7 public hearings.

But perhaps even more interesting than the decision is the content of the lawsuit in the first place. Apparently, the Tea Party is all in favor of strict interpretation of the Constitution - when it suits their needs. When the Constitution doesn't lead to the outcome that they want - attack the Constitution. More on that - beyond the jump...

My 2012 Congressional Redistricing Plan

by: MSUTeenDem

Mon Aug 08, 2011 at 08:38:40 PM EDT

District 1 (South Jersey)

The district is pretty much the same with more of Gloucester County put into it. It voted for Obama with 55% but LoBiondo should be safe in it unless someone like Van Drew or Whelan run against him in a strong year.

District 2 (Camden)

Nothing to explain here, Andrews has a safe district.

District 3 (Burlington/Mercer) (Purple)

This creates a semi safe district for Democrats here (voted for Obama with almost 56%). With Congressman Adler deceased I have no idea who would run here. Maybe some Freeholder/Assemblyman. Congressman Runyan lives in this district but he may chose to run in the 4th instead.

District 4 (Ocean/Monmouth) (Red)

I created a safe R district here for either Runyan or Smith to run in.

District 5 (Yellow)

Here I was able to combine Garrett's district and the western portion of Lance's. It's a safe R district

District 6 (Gray)

Nothing much changes here except for a few changes here and there. Safe D district

District 7 (Mercer/Middlesex) (Teal?)

Holt's new district is moved out of Monmouth and gains some areas in Middlesex. Still Safe D

District 8 (Passaic/Essex)

Pascrell's district is still safe but gains some new areas of suburban Essex county.

District 9 (Bergen)

Rothman's district can get competitive in the right year/right candidate with it being moved out of Hudson county, but it should stay in D hands.

District 10 (Essex)

The racial makeup is slightly below 50% for the black pop but it should still be a "black" district.

District 11 (Morris)

Nothing much to say, Frelinghuysen is safe

District 12 (Hudson)

The district is barely over 50% latino. Sires is safe.

Congressional Redistricting Tie-breaker is named: John Farmer

by: Rosi Efthim

Fri Jul 15, 2011 at 02:45:32 PM EDT

Jen Beck: Trenton's Fair-weather Friend to the Gays

by: Jay Lassiter

Mon Jul 04, 2011 at 09:50:57 PM EDT

Naturally we welcome her change of heart.  Change is good.  

You know what else has changed?  Beck's district.  

more below... 

Democrats' Congressional Redistricting Team: Joe Roberts Leading

by: Rosi Efthim

Wed Jun 15, 2011 at 05:02:31 PM EDT

Pulling directly now from the NJDSC's news release, here are the remaining Democratic members:

Michael Baker is an attorney with the New Brunswick firm of Hoagland-Longo, where he leads the firms Transactional Group, including farmland and open space preservation. Michael served in the General Assembly from July 1991 until January 1992, and was also a members of the East Brunswick Township Council, among other municipal positions.

Nilsa Cruz-Perez holds the distinction of being the first Hispanic woman to serve in the General Assembly, representing the 5th District from 1995 until 2010. In the Assembly, she served on the Democratic leadership team and chaired the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee. She also served in the US Army from 1981-1987, rising to the rank of Sergeant.

Ed Farmer is CEO and President of Caldwell-based Millennium Strategies. For seven years, Ed was Chief of Staff to US Rep. Bill Pascrell, and has also served as Chairman of the Board at Passaic County Community College.

Jeannine Frisby LaRue currently is senior vice president at the Kaufman Zita Group, and has been a fixture in New Jersey politics and policy for nearly four decades. Jeannine had previously served as vice president of public affairs for Rutgers University, and was also deputy chief of staff to former Governor Jon S. Corzine.

Phil Thigpen has served as Essex County Democratic Chairman since 2001. He has also served as an Essex County Freeholder and as a city councilman in East Orange.

More on Roberts and on process, after the jump.

Christie-heavy GOP Congressional Redistricting Team

by: Rosi Efthim

Wed Jun 15, 2011 at 02:19:08 PM EDT

Remember the Women

by: HudsonDemocrat

Fri Apr 08, 2011 at 09:55:41 AM EDT

Over the last several months, WPCNJ has been at the forefront of the campaign to raise awareness of the status of women as the most under-represented segment of our population.

In her testimony at a redistricting hearing, WPCNJ Democratic Task Force Chair Shari Weiner urged the members of the Commission to "Remember the Women." In light of the adoption of the new Legislative map, the Women's Political Caucus of New Jersey now calls on New Jersey's Democratic and Republican party leaders to heed the same call to "Remember the Women" when making party endorsements for the 2011 legislative elections.

Academic research and real world experience have proven that women legislators make a significant and positive difference. Better laws are passed; civility is restored to the legislative body; and the legislature is more representative of the citizens of New Jersey, more than half of whom are women.

Open seats provide tremendous opportunities for party leaders to unite behind women candidates. I urge state party chairmen Wisniewski and Raia and county party leaders to promote women when making these decisions.

Former Republican Assemblywoman Rose Heck recently said, "Thirty four women serve in the state legislature.  Due to the changes in the legislative map, I fear that incumbent women are in jeopardy of losing their seats through political maneuvering. We cannot let the state go backward!"

We understand Senator Nick Sacco and Senator Paul Sarlo are actively supporting women candidates for their open seats. We commend the Senators for their efforts and we urge others to do the same.

Women should be encouraged and supported in their efforts to enter the world of politics and become elected officials. Political parties can and MUST actively work to remove the barriers to participation.

With power comes responsibility. Parity will not be achieved without a deliberate effort to recruit, train, and advance women. It is incumbent upon leaders to LEAD.

Lisa Mizrahi Kaado
President, Women's Political Caucus of New Jersey

Lawsuit would be a waste of money for NJ Republicans

by: Scott Weingart

Wed Apr 06, 2011 at 04:47:00 PM EDT

When it comes to redistricting, the losers often sue. I'm surprised that we've heard relatively little so far from Republicans about a possible lawsuit. On Sunday, after the map was adopted, Jay Webber suggested that Republicans might sue to get the new legislative district map thrown out, but wasn't very definitive about it. As of Monday, Governor Christie said that he had not yet heard of any Republicans planning to sue over the map. Perhaps Republicans are pessimistic about their prospects in litigation. Indeed, they should be, for even in the unlikely event that they win in court, they're still likely to lose in November.

The weakness of potential Republican legal challenges to the new legislative map was highlighted on Sunday in the redistricting commissioners' statements before the vote took place. Jay Webber claimed the map was unconstitutional because the 7th district was not contiguous. The crux of Webber's argument? An uninhabited island, which everyone seems to think falls within the Township of Bordentown, but which Webber suggests might fall partly within Mansfield township. I have not seen any evidence supporting Webber's assertion. Perhaps some exists somewhere. But, as I said before, everyone seems to think the island is in Bordentown Township. The Census Bureau, which released the maps that were used to do redistricting, thinks so. Bordentown Township, which collects over a quarter million dollars a year in property taxes on the island, thinks so. PSE&G, which pays most of those taxes, thinks so. Mansfield township apparently thinks so, too. Now, I know absolutely nothing about the law of municipal boundaries, and I haven't seen any documents from the 19th century when these townships were created, but I've seen little to convince me that Webber's argument was anything but a pathetically desperate last-ditch effort to sway Alan Rosenthal.

Last redistricting cycle, Republicans recruited a few black and Latino voters to serve as co-plaintiffs in a challenge under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which I've discussed before here. Republicans argued that the Democratic plan, with its emphasis on "coalition" districts, spread black and Latino voters "'into districts in which they constitute an ineffective minority of voters.'" A three-judge panel of the Federal District Court for New Jersey rejected the Republicans arguments and upheld the map. more.....

"Vote of no confidence" in Wisniewski, from entire Woodbridge delegation at MCDO convention

by: Rosi Efthim

Wed Apr 06, 2011 at 12:15:33 AM EDT

When Alan Rosenthal threw his vote behind the map proffered by the Democrats, there was jubilation in Party circles, high-fives for NJDSC Chair & redistricting co-Chair Wisniewski and a palpable air of self-satisfaction that the Democrats made Christie - who had poked his executive branch nose deep into the legislative branch's process - lose something.

But what is a score for Democrats is not necessarily the same kind of score for progressives. There are different measuring sticks and the priorities are for more than party loyalty and a sunnier outcome for Democrats. From an infuriating Senate vote against marriage equality, to a too-cozy relationship between Chris Christie and sometimes-helpmate Democratic Senate President Sweeney, there is a sense that the Democrats have not done enough with their majority. And so it was that when that map leaked there was a one-day, multi-level, ferocious and very public expression of outrage from progressives in defense of Buono - an obvious contender for governor - and Vitale. (Disclosure, several members of the Blue Jersey staff were involved).

But while that was going on, the leaked map had what I think is a separate impact on local Democrats loyal to their own in Vitale and Buono, people they've worked alongside and helped develop. And so, there was actually discussion among the Buono and Vitale camps to organize to deny Wisniewski the line tonight. But, maybe because longtime MCDO Chair Joe Spicuzzo was just arrested a month ago on corruption charges something many shades less extreme took place.

In the end, the entire Woodbridge delegation abstained in a vote to endorse Wisniewski for re-election, minus Woodbridge mayor John McCormac, who is not on the county committee and didn't vote, but made clear their position:

Woodbridge is a team, and Wisniewski's actions threatened our teammate [Vitale], and we don't appreciate that. It was symbolic, but it was essentially a vote of no confidence.

It remains to be seen what fissures tonight's vote revealed or opened. Wisniewski played it all down: "Middlesex County's fine. I don't think there's any lack of cohesion in Middlesex County."

Jeff Gardner's new FaceBook Page

by: Jay Lassiter

Mon Apr 04, 2011 at 11:01:04 AM EDT

It's the hottest game in town.

Your Map

by: Scott Shields

Sun Apr 03, 2011 at 10:01:59 PM EDT

Blue Jersey, this is your map. Period, point blank. This week, when rumors started swirling of a new legislative map that would have pitted Senator Barbara Buono and Senator Joe Vitale in one new legislative district, many of us took it as a gut punch. These two Senators have consistently stood up for the interests of New Jerseyans, in and out of their respective districts.

Some suggested that the rumored map was the product of Republican fantasies meant to disrupt the Democratic coalition. Others ascribed other darker motives to a few actors within the Democratic Party. We may never know the truth, but either way, none of that matters now for one simple reason... You organized. You mobilized. You fought. And you won.

Senators Buono and Vitale released a joint statement today that you may or may not have caught, so I'm reposting it here after the jump, along with a few more thoughts of my own.

A look at the new NJ-21 (and a brief history)

by: Stephen Yellin

Sun Apr 03, 2011 at 06:37:30 PM EDT

First, a friendly welcome to the residents of Kenilworth, Chatham Borough, Bernards Township and Far Hills (all 919 of you in the last case) to the 21st Legislative District of New Jersey. I hope you find your accommodations comfortable, as you'll be staying here for the next 10 years. :)

Second, we in the 21st bid a fond farewell to Chatham Township, Madison and Millburn, which will now have a Democratic delegation to represent them in the form of Dick Codey, John McKeon and Mila Jasey. While this Berkeley Heights resident is more than a little jealous to be less than a mile away from having this awesome trio as my delegation, I take comfort in knowing that my friends at Drew University will get to know another awesome ex-Governor a lot better in the year ahead*.  

New Jersey Legislative District Information

by: Hopeful

Sun Apr 03, 2011 at 05:08:47 PM EDT

16th District Top-of-Ticket Results, 2008 and 2009

by: Dvd Avins

Sun Apr 03, 2011 at 03:36:22 PM EDT

Hunterdon: Delaware; Flemington; Raritan; Readington; Stockton
Mercer: Princeton (Borough); Princeton (Township)
Middlesex: South Brunswick
Somerset: Branchburg; Hillsborough; Manville; Millstone; Montgomery; Rocky Hill; Somerville

That seems like a district a Democrat could take under the right circumstances even now and may be dead even with demographic change by the end of the decade. Here are the recent Presidential and Gubernatorial results.

New 16th District

by: Jeff Doshna

Sun Apr 03, 2011 at 02:38:56 PM EDT

To put it simply -- I think this is a far better map for the Dems than is being portrayed.

The lead story is that Princeton has been taken out of the 15th -- taken away from Trenton -- and progressive Assemblyman Reed Gusciora has no chance to win in conservative Somerset county.

But folks need to take a look at the rest of the district.  

First of all, Bedminster, Bridgewater and Bernards (and environs) are no longer in the district.  Neither is Assemblywoman Coyle for that matter.  This takes away some of the most conservative part of the district.

Second of all -- and here's where I think there's gains to be had -- Flemington Borough, as well as Raritan and Readington townships in Hunterdon County are now in the 16th.

So the new district includes much of the Democratic core of Hunterdon County, along with Princeton, Somerville and Manville -- town centers that have voted Democratic.

Most importantly, the district is far more diverse. About 70% white, over 16% Asian and 8 percent non-white hispanic.

I'm not saying it's a lock district for Democrats, but Bateman and Biondi have a greater chance of losing to good Democrats than ever before.  Reed Gusciora has announced his intensions to run and I hope doesn't try to move back into the 15th, and stays here to run with Marie Corfield.

the 35th and the 38th.

by: Jay Lassiter

Sun Apr 03, 2011 at 12:21:04 PM EDT

I've seen enough maps to last me for the rest of my life."

Click here for GIANT pic.