NJ Redistricting May Hurt These Communities Of Color: Advocates

NEWARK, NJ — As more details emerge about New Jersey’s latest congressional redistricting map, a Newark-based nonprofit has some serious doubts about how it will impact some communities with high populations of Hispanic, Black and Asian American voters.

Every decade, the process of "redistricting" tweaks Congressional lines throughout New Jersey. Read more about how and why it's done here.

Last week, the New Jersey Congressional Redistricting Commission released its new map, which can be seen here. Street-level maps of the new districts aren't available yet on the commission's website. Read More: NJ Democrats Win Tug Of War Over Redistricting Map

See demographics of each district broken down by race here.

After the commission released its chosen map – picking a Democratic Party proposal over a competing Republican version – the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice (NJISJ) offered a critique from a racial justice perspective.

The group said it has serious concerns about an apparent “reduction in populations of color in several New Jersey congressional districts.” According to the NJISJ:

• “In the 8th Congressional District, the Hispanic population of voting age was reduced to under 50 percent, raising serious concerns under the Voting Rights Act and Supreme Court precedent, given that the Latina/o population currently controls the district.”
• “In the 12th Congressional District, the Black population was significantly reduced from the current map.”
• “In the 6th and 12th Congressional Districts, the Asian American population was also reduced, keeping that community ‘cracked’ into several districts, thereby diluting their power.”

“We are troubled that the commission failed to protect the ability of Latina/o voters to elect their candidates of choice in the 8th Congressional District, a protection granted in the current congressional map and in the racial equity map submitted by racial justice advocates,” said Henal Patel, director of the Democracy & Justice Program at the NJISJ.

Patel said the group plans to “look closely” at whether the map selected by the commission undermines the voting strength of Latina/o voters in violation of the Voting Rights Act.

“Advocates have been relentless in calling for transparency during the redistricting process, a call that in many ways went unheeded,” Patel added. “Had the commission simply released its proposed map for comment prior to certifying it, many of these issues could have been addressed.”

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Juan Cartagena, former president and general counsel at LatinoJustice PRLDEF, also raised red flags about the new map.

“The last census showed that all of New Jersey’s population growth over the last decade came from people of color,” Cartagena said. “That makes it particularly troubling to see substantial reductions in the population of those communities in several New Jersey districts, including the 8th, 6th and 12th.”

“These issues are not simply a matter of math but a matter of power for the people who live in our state,” Cartagena added. “Against the backdrop of the national and growing anti-democracy movement, New Jersey should be a leader in empowering its growing communities of color, not continuing to dilute their power.”

• See related article: NJ Prisoners May Play Key Role In Redistricting (Here's Why)

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