Map minimizes the number of counties divided into several districts, a requirement which has recently been ignored; See the map
TRENTON — A tea party group is submitting its own map to the 11-member commission charged with redrawing the state’s 40 legislative districts.
Bayshore Tea Party members said the map was drawn based purely on the redistricting principles laid out in the state constitution. They’re delivering copies today to all 11 members.
“We prepared our map irrespective of partisan interests and for all the people of the State of New Jersey,” said tea party activist Sean Spinello, the mapmaker, in a letter to independent commission member Alan Rosenthal.
The map minimizes the number of counties divided into several legislative districts, a requirement in the state constitution that has largely been ignored in past decades.
The group said they engaged in no “gerrymandering” – the drawing of districts with political or other outcomes in mind. Both Democrats and Republicans on the commission have, for instance, drawn districts they say are meant to increase minority representation in the Legislature.
“All gerrymandering is political gerrymandering. While there may be ancillary positive or negative impacts on various communities of interest, neither party would advocate specific gerrymandering if the party did not believe that it would obtain an electoral advantage for the party and/or its incumbents,” he wrote.
Previous coverage:
• N.J. redistricting commission struggles over redrawing legislative districts
• Rutgers professor appointed to redistricting commission downplays newfound power
• Rutgers professor to likely cast deciding vote in redrawing N.J. legislative districts
• Rutgers professor is appointed as tie-breaking 11th member on N.J. redistricting commission
• N.J. redistricting commission to request tie-breaking 11th member
• N.J. redistricting panel member refuses to attend public meetings until he has an official role
• With release of census data, N.J. Legislature has 60 days to come up with redistricting map
• N.J. Democrats ask Republicans to disclose donors to organization funding redistricting efforts
• N.J. redistricting could shift legislative seat toward southern part of state
• N.J. legislative redistricting commission starts process that will redraw congressional lines
• N.J. Democrats, Republicans agree on Rutgers professor as 11th member of redistricting commission