New Jersey Congressman Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) has conceded his race for the 7th District, and congratulated the Republican winner, former state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. It’s one of the seats that’s handing majority control of the House of Representatives to the Republican party.
Julia Sass Rubin, who is a Rutgers professor and volunteers with the Good Government Coalition of New Jersey, says that it was unnecessary: “This is a self-inflicted wound, and given that every other state that doesn’t have a redistricting commission that is based on citizen participation, which we clearly don’t have, is gerrymandering. Why would [Democrats] consciously throw a congressional seat out, particularly in a year when you’re so desperate for each congressional seat?”
Sass Rubin points to the two most powerful political machines in New Jersey: George Norcross’ machine in the south and the Hudson County machine, where U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez has his base. She points out that those are the two most heavily Democratic districts in New Jersey — Hudson, where Menendez’s son just got elected to Congress, and Camden, which is represented by George’s brother, Donald.