TRENTON — For decades, Newark and Jersey City have been split into three legislative districts, which means New Jersey’s two largest cities each have three senators and six Assembly members representing at least some of their residents in Trenton. That will likely change this year. Democrats and Republicans agreed today a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision makes it hard...
Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris), the former GOP state chairman who chairs the Republican redistricting team, is expecting the new map of congressional districts will change significantly. TRENTON — For decades, Newark and Jersey City have been split into three legislative districts, which means New Jersey’s two largest cities each have three senators and six Assembly members representing at least some of their residents in Trenton.
That will likely change this year. Democrats and Republicans agreed today a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision makes it hard to justify keeping the cities split into more than two districts.
As a result, some lawmakers, including longtime state Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex), could lose some urban voters that have supported them for years and face election this fall in more suburban districts.
"Splitting Newark and Jersey City into three was a key part of the Democrats’ strategy in 2001. That’s because it benefitted them not just in those municipalities, but in the surrounding municipalities," said Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris), leader of the Republican redistricting team.
In New Jersey, only Newark and Jersey City are allowed to have more than one legislative district because they have more people than a district can hold, which according to the 2010 census is 220,000.
During redistricting 10 years ago, Republicans argued that splitting Jersey City and Newark into three districts violated the federal Voting Rights Act by diluting minority voters’ clout. But Democrats successfully argued it would help get more minorities elected to office by infusing minority voters into districts where they could forge alliances with white Democrats. They also used the federal law to trump the state constitution’s ban on carving towns into three districts.
But in the 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled a district must have more than 50 percent of its voters from minority groups to be protected under the Voting Rights Act.
"That Supreme Court case means that we have to pay particular attention to that issue," said Democratic State Chairman John Wisniewski, an assemblyman from Middlesex County who is leading the Democrats’ redistricting efforts.
Webber said consolidating Newark and Jersey City "respects the state constitution."
The 10-member legislative redistricting commission is drawing new legislative boundaries in accordance with new population figures. A lot is at stake. In November, all 120 legislative seats are up for election. The way the legislative district map looks will go a long way toward deciding those contests.
"We know that the present map we are operating under will change significantly because the law that we are operating under has changed significantly," said Webber.
Wisniewski, however, cautioned the 11th tie-breaking member, appointed by the chief justice of the state Supreme Court, will have the ultimate say in what the map looks like — including whether Newark and Jersey City are in two or more districts.
Although the change could hurt Democrats by removing some of their voters from urban districts, they weren’t fretting.
Codey noted Newark makes up a very small part of his district, and usually turns out a couple thousand voters in elections. "I’d love to continue to represent Newark, but in the scheme of things the amount of people is (minimal)," he said.
In Jersey City, it’s less clear which district would no longer cover the town. Wisniewski wouldn’t speculate.
"I think it’s premature to start saying this town is going to wind up here, this town is going to wind up there," he said.
CARVING UP THE BIG CITIES
Newark and Jersey City are now each split into three legislative districts. After this year’s redistricting process and each city will probably have just two legislative districts, beginning with the upcoming elections in November.
Here are the lawmakers whose districts include parts of Newark and Jersey City, and how many city residents are in their districts. Each district has about 210,000 people.
Newark
District 27
Senate: Richard Codey (D-Essex)
Assembly: John McKeon, Mila Jasey (both D-Essex).
Newark residents in district: 20,205.
District 28
Senate: Ronald Rice (D-Essex) Assembly: Ralph Caputo, Cleopatra Tucker (both D-Essex)
Newark residents in district: 75,395.
District 29
Senate: Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex).
Assembly: Albert Coutinho, Grace Spencer (both D-Essex).
Newark residents in district: 185,802.
Jersey City
District 31
Senate: Sandra B. Cunningham (D-Hudson).
Assembly: Charles Mainor, Jason O’Donnell (both D-Hudson) Jersey City residents in district: 146,536.
District 32
Senate: Nicholas Sacco (D-Hudson).
Assembly: Vincent Prieto, Joan Quigley (both D-Hudson)
Jersey City residents in district: 64,095
District 33
Senate: Brian Stack (D-Hudson).
Assembly: Ruben Ramos, Caridad Rodriguez (both D-Hudson).
Jersey City residents in district: 31,158.
Population figures as of 2006
Source: New Jersey Legislative Data Book.