Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise says it “would be a grievous error” to move the Town of Harrison out of the 32nd Legislative District and into the Essex County-based 29th Legislative District.
“For nearly a half-century, Harrison, along with Kearny and East Newark, has been part of Hudson County-based state legislative districts (currently the 32nd district). Now the Commission appears set on tossing Harrison into an Essex County-based district (the 29th District),” DeGise wrote in an emailed letter to the New Jersey Apportionment Commission.
“This would be a mistake. Harrison shares not only common borders with its West Hudson neighbors but also common roadways, common services, common demographics, common economic challenges, and a common continuity of legislative representation that has served its residents well for decades.”
Both the Turnpike map, the Democratic plan, and the Parkway map, the Republican proposal, call for Harrison to move to LD-29, which includes the east side of Newark and Belleville.
The town is currently represented by state Senator Nick Sacco (D-32), also the north Bergen mayor, who has spoke out against both first drafts.
Serving in his post during the last two U.S. Census efforts, DeGise continued that he’s confident Harrison belongs in Hudson County on any map, legislative or otherwise.
“Submerging Harrison within another legislative district in a neighboring county—a district sure to be focused on the interests of the state’s largest city—would be a grievous error,” he wrote.
“It will slow the progress we’ve made to reshape West Hudson as an exciting hub of new growth and would do a disservice to the people of Harrison whose concerns are sure to be drowned out in such an arrangement.”
Additionally, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop has opposed the Turnpike plan that would divide Jersey City into three legislative districts, entering LD-32 for the first time, claiming such a move would violate the state constitution.