Union County Sees Little Change in State Leg. Districts

Union County residents will see little change in the new state legislative map approved Sunday.

Only two Union County towns change districts under the map approved by the state redistricting commission. Hillside flips from a Union/Essex district to a primarily urban Union County district, while Kenilworth moves from a Democratic stronghold to a Republican stronghold under the map. Most western Union County voters will continue to vote in legislative districts similar to the ones in place for the last decade.

The decision was made Sunday after redistricting commission member Alan Rosenthal, the commission's tie-breaker, voted for the Democratic Party’s proposed map. Rosenthal was appointed by Chief Justice Stuart Rabner last month after the bipartisan commission declared they could not decide on a map. Both parties and Rosenthal have been cloistered at a New Brunswick hotel over the last week with the partisan groups bringing new proposals to the tie-breaker in hopes of winning a new map.  

The 22nd district, which includes Scotch Plains, Fanwood, Clark, Plainfield, Linden and Rahway, retains the same boundaries in Union, Middlesex and Somerset Counties. The district is represented by Sen. Nick Scutari (D-Linden), Assemblyman Jerry Green (D-Plainfield) and Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood).

The 22nd district has trended Democratic since its creation in 2001. Former Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks, a Republican, ran strong races against Scutari in 2003 and Green and Stender in 2009. Marks is reportedly considering another race for the legislature in 2011.

Kenilworth has been placed in the 21st district, where it joins most of western Union County including Westfield, Cranford, Garwood, Mountainside, Springfield, Roselle Park, Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Summit. The district is represented by Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield), Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) and Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz (R-Summit).

Kean, Bramnick and Munoz lose their Essex County toehold of Millburn in the new map, along with seeing some changes to the district lines in Morris and Somerset Counties. The 21st district loses Chatham Township, Harding and Madison in Morris County and gains Chatham Borough in Morris County, along with Far Hills and Bernards Township in Somerset County. The new map halves the district’s Morris County component from four to two towns and reduces the district to Union, Morris and Somerset.

The shifting of Bernards Township moves Assemblywoman Denise Coyle (R-Bernards) from a Somerset and Morris district into the Union County dominated 21st. It is not known what Coyle's plans are. Union County Republicans are expected to endorse Bramnick and Munoz for reelection during a county convention Thursday night in Westfield. Union County Republicans have domianted the 21st district for the last decade, with Assembly candidates from outside of Union County not given much consideration during the special election conventions which elected Bramnick and Munoz to vacant seats in 2003 and 2009.

Non-Union County challengers in the 2003 and 2009 GOP primaries also fared poorly versus Bramnick, Munoz and Munoz' late husband, Eric, who proceeded her in the Assembly.

The map keeps Kean, Bramnick and Munoz in a safe Republican district. Democrats have rarely given Kean, Bramnick and Munoz more than a token challenge in the district.

“The district is still fairly Republican,” Bramnick said, stressing he represents all residents. “You are picking up Far Hills Bernards and Kenilworth.”

Kenilworth Republicans have long sought the change of the district from the Democratic dominated 20th district, where it was joined with Elizabeth, Union Township and Roselle to the Republican 21st. Kenilworth was placed in Elizabeth Democratic Sen. Ray Lesniak’s district in the 2001 redistricting cycle. Kenilworth has long been a swing town between both parties. Republicans currently control the Kenilworth Borough Council 5-1 and the mayor’s office.

The movement of Hillside from the Newark dominated 29th district to the Union County dominated 20th district has long been a goal for Union County Democratic Chairwoman Charlotte DeFilippo. The 29th district, which is headed by Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark), is centered mainly in Newark’s South and Central wards. Before Ruiz, former Newark Mayor Sharpe James held the district’s Senate seat.

The 20th district retains the remaining three towns and remains one of the most Democratic in the state.

Millburn has long sought a move out of the 21st district since the current district was created in 2001. Millburn officials have said the township being the only Essex County town in the district placed it at a disadvantage. Millburn is now in the new Essex/Morris 27th district. Madison, Harding and Chatham Township were also placed in the 27th.

The 27th is represented by Sen. Richard Codey (D-Roseland), the former governor, who will face a tougher reelection battle in the newly drawn district. Codey, who has been at odds with Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) since Sweeney ousted him from the Senate’s top spot, has lost his Democratic base in Newark in the new map. Codey’s new district includes a mix of familiar suburban Essex voters for Codey, along with Republican leaning Morris County voters.

The biggest changes statewide include merging Sen. John Girgenti (D-Passaic County) into a Bergen County based district represented by Sen. Bob Gordon (D-Fair Lawn). Girgenti has indicated he plans to move to Paterson to seek reelection in a Passaic County based district. In addition, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton) said he plans to move after Princeton was placed in a more Republican district.

Bramnick said that while the new map has him in a Republican district for the next decade, he is seeing other changes with the town movement.

“What happens when you’re a legislator is the towns are your family, you become close to the mayors and council members,” he said. “It is my job to represent who I am assigned to represent.”