Redistricting: The first map emerges

Jerrymandering and mapmaking fans are watching closely.  Redistricting talks are underway in New Jersey. The impact of these will shape NJ politics for the next decade, so everyone is taking them seriously. And, while the final map is a long way off, the first map has leaked out and already suggests some big battles, according to NJPoliticker:

Among the bombshells contained in the sample map is a district – denoted on the map as District 4 – that would combine Elizabeth and portions of Newark into one Hispanic dominated district. The new district would pit powerful state Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-20) of Elizabeth against the only Hispanic member of the Senate – Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz (D-29) of Newark – in a district made up 56 percent of Hispanic residents.

Maps are very powerful.