New Jersey Republican prospects of landing a fair map for either congressional or legislative redistricting sustained a likely blow on Tuesday when the “Princeton Gerrymandering Project” announced that it “will serve as advisors to the tiebreaking members of the New Jersey Apportionment Commission and the New Jersey Congressional Redistricting Commission.”
So the Princetone Gerrymandering Project will exert tremendous influence on the commissions’ tiebreakers.
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Guess what? The Project’s director – Sam Wang – is no fan of Republicans, Save Jerseyans.
The Princeton Gerrymandering Project will serve as advisors to the tiebreaking members of the New Jersey Apportionment Commission and the New Jersey Congressional Redistricting Commission. (1/3)
— Princeton Gerrymandering Project (@princetongerry) December 7, 2021
and the 2023 election for state legislative maps. We encourage New Jersey residents and organizations to make their voices heard, by emailing the Commission or attending a public meeting and speaking out about what they hope to see in the eventual maps. (3/3)
— Princeton Gerrymandering Project (@princetongerry) December 7, 2021
Wang is best known for honoring his promise to eat a bug on live television in the event that Donald Trump surpassed 240 electoral votes in 2016:
That’s actually the relatively unremarkable part.
His history of political donations includes a $500 donation to Elizabeth Warren and Barack Obama, respectively.
Wang is also obsessed with race and apparently believes the color of constituents’ skin is a more critical variable when crafting maps than achieving districts that are actually competitive (you know, where the elected officials have to worry about getting reelected!).
“Prioritizing competitiveness could pose a conflict with meeting high priority racial representation and community of interest standards. Like partisan fairness, competitiveness seems like a principle where an agreed upon objective metric can be achieved, but in reality it is as open to interpretation as any other redistricting concept,” explained a 2019 academic screed to which Wang contributed. He also co-authored a 2020 NJ.com op-ed complaining about “communities of color” lacking fair representation.
Ultimately, social media tells you a lot about where someone’s heart lies probably due to the lack of a filter.
I don’t know Wang’s party registration, but he’s certainly no fan of the Republican Party. Via is Twitter account (@SamWangPhd), the professor has retweeted accusations that the GOP is anti-democratic, attempting to undermine the Biden Administration, and endeavors to overturn legitimate elections. He’s a regular retweeter of Bill Kristol, a leading anti-Trumper, and he isn’t shy about slamming leading GOP figures out in the open:
What he said, @tedcruz Class of 1992 @Princeton, that Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels described the concept of the Big Lie – a lie so large that it overwhelms.
The big lie here – of widespread election fraud, was spread by Trump, you, and @HawleyMO. https://t.co/ll74cRcVZU
— Sam Wang (@SamWangPhD) January 9, 2021
If you think the GOP can get a fair map with this guy whispering in the tiebreakers’ ears?
I admire your optimism.
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