Case Title: In the Matter of Establishment of Congressional Districts by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: new-jersey

Court: New Jersey Supreme Court

Date: 2022-02-03T00:00:00Z

Document:
SUPREME COURT OF NEW JERSEY
                                           R-
3 September Term 2021
                                                   086587

In the Matter of Establishment
of Congressional Districts by
the New Jersey Redistricting
Commission,

Douglas Steinhardt, in his official
capacity as Delegation Chair and Member of
the New Jersey Redistricting Commission,
Michele Albano, in her official capacity
as Member of the New Jersey Redistricting
Commission, Jeanne Ashmore, in her
official capacity as Member of the New Jersey
Redistricting Commission, Mark
Duffy, in his official capacity as Member of
the New Jersey Redistricting Commission,
Mark LoGrippo, in his official capacity
as Member of the New Jersey Redistricting
Commission, and Lynda Pagliughi, in
her official capacity as Member of the New
Jersey Redistricting Commission,
    Plaintiffs,
       v.
New Jersey Redistricting
Commission, John E. Wallace, Jr., in
his official capacity as Chair and Member of
the New Jersey Redistricting Commission,
Janice Fuller, in her official capacity as
Delegation Chairwoman and Member of the
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, Iris
Delgado, in her official capacity as
Member of the New Jersey Redistricting
Commission, Vin Gopal, in his official
capacity as Member of the New Jersey
Redistricting Commission, Stephanie
Lagos, in her official capacity as Member
of the New Jersey Redistricting Commission,
Jeff Nash, in his official capacity as
Member of the New Jersey Redistricting
Commission, Dana Redd, in her official
capacity as Member of the New Jersey
Redistricting Commission, and Tahesha
Way, in her official capacity as New Jersey
Secretary of State,
      Defendants.

      1. This matter involves a legal challenge to the congressional

redistricting map selected by the New Jersey Congressional Redistricting

Commission (Commission).

Selection of Commission members and redistricting process

      2. The State’s political leaders appoint the members of the Commission.

Under the State Constitution, the following individuals each appoint two

members: the President of the Senate and Speaker of the Assembly; the

minority leaders of the Senate and Assembly; and the chairs of the State

committees of the political parties whose candidates received the largest or

next largest number of votes in the most recent election for Governor. N.J.

Const. art. II, § 2, ¶ 1(b). As a result, the Commission is initially comprised of

six individuals affiliated with the Democratic Party and six who are affiliated

with the Republican Party.

      3. The Constitution also provides for an independent thirteenth member.

Id. ¶ 1(c). Because the original twelve members were unable to agree on a

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proposed tiebreaker by a majority vote, each delegation submitted one name to

the Court. From those names, the Court had to select the thirteenth member, in

accordance with the Constitution. Ibid.

      4. The Constitution sets forth two qualifications for the independent

member: the individual must have been a New Jersey resident for the past five

years and, during that period, “shall not . . . have held public or party office in

this State.” Ibid. The Constitution also provides a standard for the selection

of the independent member. It calls upon the Court to select, by a majority

vote, the person “more qualified by education and occupational experience, by

prior public service in government or otherwise, and by demonstrated ability to

represent the best interest of the people of this State.” Ibid. From the two

names presented, the Court selected the Honorable John E. Wallace, Jr. (ret.),

to serve as the independent member. Neither party objected to his selection.

The independent member serves as Chair of the Commission. Id. ¶ 2.

      5. The Commission must hold at least three public hearings. Id. ¶ 4. In

this case, it held ten hearings, virtually and in-person, at which it heard

testimony from the public. The Commission also received written submissions

and draft maps from the public.

      6. The process that follows is intensely political, not legal, which

reflects the makeup of the Commission and the nature of its work. The

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Commission is essentially a political body, comprised mostly of partisan

appointees, that fixes boundaries for election districts. See Gaffney v.

Cummings,