Steinhardt hopeful on timely census results

Republican State Chairman Doug Steinhardt thinks New Jersey will get census figures in time to redraw New Jersey’s legislative districts for elections in 2021.

“I think — as we continue to get through the summer, as the curve continues to flatten, as hopefully we get out from the quarantine that some of us are still under here — we’ll find a way to get the census done so that life can move forward,” he said.

The Census Bureau has suspended field operations in a number of states as a precaution against COVID-19.

While the census has restarted field operations in some states, such activities remain stalled in New Jersey, and it’s not clear when those operations will resume.

Steinhardt wasn’t supremely confident that the census would finish its work in time for next year’s reapportionment, though he said the months remaining between now and the start of the redistricting process could provide the bureau with enough time to complete its count.

“The reality is that I’d like to think it’s far enough down the road that there’s a possibility that we’re going to be able to get that done. If we don’t, it’s a bridge that I think we’re all going to have to cross when we get there,” he said. “Like I said before, I wasn’t the quarterback to begin with, so I’m not going to sit here and call plays.”