Will New Jersey’s Legislature become more diverse this year?

 

The New Jersey Legislature is overwhelmingly white and male – despite representing a state that is 52% white and only 49.3% male.

Sixty-nine percent of all members in the legislature are white; 65% are men. Even more, the four most politically powerful figures in the state – Gov. Phil Murphy, Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D–Linden), Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Woodbridge), and Chief Justice Stuart Rabner are all straight white men.

The disparity between who holds power and who they represent has drawn increasing attention in recent weeks, following the death of Lieutenant Gov. Sheila Oliver, who was the first Black woman to win a statewide election in New Jersey.

The question of diversity – or lack thereof – is bearing down on the New Jersey Legislature, especially as this year’s elections approach.

In the current Legislature, Black legislators make up a little less than 17%; Hispanic legislators make up 9%; and Asian legislators make up 5%.

As far as LGBTQ+ representation, there is only one openly gay member – Republican Assemblyman Don Guardian (R-Atlantic City).

Despite this overwhelmingly white and male body, this year’s midterms could mark a significant shift in broadening the perspectives in the Statehouse. With all 120 seats (40 in the Senate and 80 in the Assembly) up for election, there could be a tidal wave of new and more diverse voices serving in the Legislature.

The possibility for a set of new voices is emphasized by the fact that 30 seats, between the Assembly and the Senate, will be open – with no incumbent. This means that in January 2024, a quarter of all seats will definitely be held by someone new.

“This is the biggest retirement class since 2007, and by consequence it will be the biggest freshman class since 2007,” said Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University.

This turnover is a result of many legislators either deciding to retire or seek other office. The surprise retirement announcement just last week of State Sen. Richard Codey  Codey’s (D-Roseland), the longest serving legislator in New Jersey, has accentuated the sense that the political shifts in New Jersey are underway, and a new generation of leaders is emerging.

In fact, Codey’s retirement has underscored some concerns about the entrenched barriers to electing people of color. Codey, due to legislative redistricting, defeated State Sen. Nia Gill (D-Montclair), the longest-serving Black woman legislator in state history.

This in large part is due to intra-party politics and whom party leaders decide to support.

“What’s going on in the 27th is interesting,” Rasmussen said.  “I think to some extent if the parties could just get out of the way, we probably would have a party that would more closely represent that diversity of the state.”

Despite the loss of Nia Gill, Essex will likely begin the next legislative session with the most diverse delegation in the state.  Perhaps that’s a reflection on a new map drawn by the two county chairmen, Democrat LeRoy Jones, Jr. and Republican Al Barlas.

When the next legislative session begins in January, four of the five senators representing Essex will be women; three of them will be women of color.  Of the ten lower house members who will represent Essex, seven will likely be people of color and six are likely to be women.  Indeed, the Essex delegation will probably have just four white men out of fifteen seats.

Still, though, Democrats have historically been more focused on prioritizing diversity. And the breakdown of the Democratic Caucus speaks to that. Although the legislature as a whole might be dominated by leaders who are white and male, about half of all elected Democrats in the Statehouse are Black, Hispanic, or Asian, and close to 40% are women.

2023 is looking no different for Democrats, who continue to emphasize increasing diversity as a key political goal. This year, in particular, the Democrats are trying to expand LGBTQ+ representation in the Statehouse, with four LGBTQ+ candidates running for Assembly.  Luanne Peterpaul in the 11th district, Raya Arbiol in the 12th, Paul Eschelbach in the 13th, and Diane Salvatore in the 25th.

Complimenting these Democratic efforts, Republicans are also running a diverse roster of candidates this year. Currently, about a third of the Republican Caucus are women; there is one Black man, one Hispanic man, and one Asian man serving as Republicans. These numbers could expand by huge margins this year, as Republicans are running diverse candidates in competitive races.

“Republicans would probably tell you it’s color blind – that these are the most energetic, most enthusiastic candidates, it just so happens they are diverse,” said Rasmussen. “But this is a good thing.”

A Black woman, Tennille McCoy, is the favorite to capture an open Assembly seat in the 14th district.  Still, one of her Republican opponents, Adam Elias, was born in Egpyt and his election would also expand the diversity of the district.

The important candidates running, who could expand Republican power and diversity, include: Amanda Esposito and Matt Walker, running for Assembly in the fourth legislative district; Skye Gilmartin running for Assembly and Patricia Johnson running for Senate in the fourteenth legislative district; Grace Zhang running for Assembly in the sixteenth legislative district; Micheline Atteih running for Senate in the 38th legislative district; and Barlas running for Assembly in the 40th legislative district.

These are not insignificant strides by the Republicans to appeal to wider swaths of the electorate, especially in these competitive races.

This does seem to be part of a larger strategy by the national Republican party. Party leaders believe they can win in traditionally Democratic strongholds, if they expand their messaging and make more of a concerted outreach to voters who might otherwise go for the Democrats.

That diversity is now a central aspect of both parties suggests that the political landscape of New Jersey – which is increasingly diverse – is demanding that their representatives have varied experiences and perspectives.

“I think what’s undeniable – no matter where you sit, no matter your ideology – is that the best possible decision-making process we can have is one that brings as many different viewpoints and perspectives together as we can; this is true for conservative and liberals,” said Rasmussen.  “We have to match our rhetoric with our actions, all have to match up.”