N.J. Democrats want to keep the current legislative map until 2023

TRENTON, N.J. – New Jersey Democrats are making moves this week which, if successful, would keep the current legislative district map in place until 2023 and guarantee a Democrat legislative majority until at least January 2024. 

First reported on Monday by New Jersey Globe, Democrats are reportedly prepping a constitutional amendment to permit legislators to run on the current map in 2021. An election with the new districts wouldn’t occur until 2023 assuming the COVID-19 delayed census numbers fail to be finalized by February 15th, a virtual certainty according to current Trump Administration estimates.

Republicans say it’s a transparent power grab to protect the Democrat majority.

“Never let a good crisis go to waste,” GOP redistricting chairman Al Barlas told Save Jersey on Monday. “In 2001, we got the numbers on March 8th and we still got a map.”

Barlas says the current numbers suggest the Democrats’ concerns are unwarranted. To date, he notes, officials are seeing a 64% New Jersey response rate to the census.

In 2010, response rate was 74%.

In 2000? 76%.

“Why stop there? Why not constitutionally mandate that you’ll be in the majority? At some point, ‘one man one vote’ has to mean something,” Barlas added.

Matt Rooney
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MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.