By David Kilby, Staff Writer
The new redistricting of state legislative districts will result in little change for Monroe, Cranbury and Jamesburg.
In the new legislative redistricting map following the 2010 census results, another small town, Spotswood, enters District 14 and a large township, South Brunswick, moves out.
Mayor Richard Pucci of Monroe, a Democrat, said that is the biggest change in the new district map, but he said this shouldn’t impact voting too much.
”From the relationship we’ve formed with South Brunswick, I hate to see them go out, but at the same time with the mix that’s coming in, I don’t think that (redistricting) changes the scale too much as far as a partisan vote. If you can do well in Monroe and Hamilton you can get yourself elected.” He said winning votes in Hamilton has always been the key to winning District 14. Since Hamilton, with 88,464 residents, is so large it holds two of the seats in the district, he said.
”When they’re doing the maps, it goes beyond the 14th district,” Mayor Pucci said, explaining what seems to be a disparity as Spotswood, with 8,257 residents, replaces South Brunswick, with 43,417, in the 14th District. “A candidate (still) has to come out of Hamilton doing well,” he said.
”If a candidate does well in Monroe and Hamilton, that’s enough of a vote to win the district,” Mayor Pucci said.
He added that if the race is close, the small towns, such as Cranbury, Hightstown and Jamesburg, could still have an important impact on the vote.
” (Senator) Linda Greenstein has campaigned unbelievably in every town,” Mayor Pucci said. “She’s always there and talking on all the issues.”
But Jamesburg mayor Tony LaMantia doesn’t entirely agree.
”In my opinion, I guess like anything else with the state, they give everything to big towns and nothing for small towns,” Mayor LaMantia said, “and it’s the same with legislators. They tend to look out for big towns more than they do for small towns.”Monroe has 10 senior citizen communities that make up about half of Monroe’s 39,132 residents. Mayor Pucci said senior citizens tend to vote more on “off years”, but vote just as much as other age groups in governor or presidential elections.In November voters will vote on a four-year term for senator, and two assemblymen two-year terms.
”We have to get geared up for the election now,” Mayor Pucci said. “I think the three incumbents have done an outstanding job.”
The incumbent Democratic candidates will be Sen. Linda Greenstein, from Plainsboro, and Assemblymen Wayne Deangelo and Dan Benson, from Hamilton.
