Politics & Government

Republicans Disappointed by New Map

It looks like a South Jersey GOP assemblyman will have to seek re-election in another district—one that doesn't include Gloucester Township.

When he was elected in 2009, Domenick DiCicco became the first Republican to win a 4th Legislative District Assembly seat since John G. Matheussen and George Geist were defeated in 2003.

DiCicco likely will not have the opportunity this November to win the seat for a second term.

New Jersey's new legislative map, which was adopted in New Brunswick on Sunday, 6-5, by a bipartisan committee, moves DiCicco's hometown of Franklin Township to the 3rd District.

Find out what's happening in Gloucester Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The new 3rd District will include parts of Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.

In addition to DiCicco's hometown, Gloucester County municipalities Glassboro and Newfield were moved from the 4th District to the 3rd District, while the 4th District gained Winslow Township and Chesilhurst Borough in the redistricting plan, which comes following the release of 2010 Census data.

Find out what's happening in Gloucester Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The 4th District will continue to include Gloucester Township with the new map.

DiCicco declined comment on the change to his home district on Monday. His Washington Township-based staff indicated he would address the redistricting move with media on Tuesday.

DiCicco can only run in the 3rd District this year, according to the state Office of Legislative Services.

Several published reports, however, have indicated DiCicco and other legislators whose hometowns have been moved to new districts could opt to move into municipalities located in their current district in November re-election bids, if they so choose.

That appears unlikely, though, as petitions to run in June's Democratic and Republican primaries are due to the New Jersey Department of State by Monday.

Still, Republicans also could decide to challenge the new map, which was adopted after it was selected as the best option of several proposals by nonpartisan commission member Alan Rosenthal, a Rutgers University political scientist who is a registered Democrat.

A judge added the Rutgers professor to the commission about a month ago when the five Democrats and five Republicans could not reach agreement.

DiCicco, as well as Democratic state Sen. Fred Madden and Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, will continue to serve the current 4th District—Gloucester Township, Clementon, Laurel Springs and Lindenwold in Camden County and Franklin, Glassboro, Monroe Township, Newfield, Pitman, and Washington Township—through the end of the year.

Republicans across the state cried foul over the new map.

It was no different locally.

"Their ultimate goal was to take out a very popular Republican," Gloucester Township Republican Municipal Committee Chairman Ray Polidoro said of DiCicco Monday morning.

Polidoro described the new map as "gerrymandering at its best," referring to the practice of drawing districts to benefit one party over another based on demographics and political affiliation.

The township's Republican chairman openly speculated that DiCicco may have even been considering challenging Madden for the 4th District Senate seat.

Now, Polidoro says, it's unlikely he would run for state Senate. The 3rd District Senate seat is held by Senate President Steve Sweeney, perhaps the most powerful Democrat in the state. 

The redistricting came just as what appeared would be the featured bout in the 4th District Assembly race was heating up. DiCicco and Moriarty engaged in a war of words via email press releases just three weeks ago.

Madden and Moriarty issued the following joint statement regarding the new legislative map on Monday.

"While we are disappointed that we will no longer be representing Franklinville, Glassboro and Newfield, we look forward to welcoming residents of Chesilhurst Borough and Winslow Township to the 4th District," the statement says. "We are eager to work for and with them as we try and tackle the issues that impact them on a daily basis. 

"While the process of switching state representatives can be daunting, we hope to make this transition for them as easy as possible. In the meantime, we will represent Clementon, Franklinville, Glassboro, Gloucester Township, Laurel Springs, Lindenwold, Monroe Township, Newfield, Pitman and Washington Township. All constituents should continue to reach out to our office through January 2012."


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