The
Latino Action Network applauds the decision of the U.S. District Court
of New Jersey on Tuesday to ensure that all future candidates for office
are treated fairly when boundaries are redrawn based on legislative
redistricting. The decision, written by Judge Dickinson Debevoise,
rejects the reasoning of the recent New Jersey Supreme Court decision
invalidating the election of Assemblywoman Gabriela Mosquera.
“The
federal court’s decision lays out clear and fair rules for New Jersey’s
legislative elections going forward,” said Latino Action Network President
Frank Argote-Freyre. “These rules will benefit all candidates and allow
anyone who wants to run for office – including Latinos who are
drastically underrepresented in the New Jersey Legislature – to run for
office knowing the rules of the election will not be changed after the
fact.”
The
decision vindicates the position of the Latino Action Network, which
joined the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, the Communications
Workers of America, AFL-CIO, the Latino Coalition Of Monmouth County,
Women’s Political Caucus of NJ, and the Latinas United For Political
Empowerment Political Action Committee in the litigation to oppose the
Attorney General’s request for the federal court to allow the state’s
one-year residency requirement to “apply” to districts drawn after
redistricting – districts that only would have existed for seven months.
“The
Attorney General’s request would have produced chaos – potentially
leading to yet more losing candidates challenging elections after the
fact,” Argote-Freyre added. “The foundation of fair voting is
predictability and clarity, and Judge Debevoise’s order provides that.”
The
Latino Action Network is a statewide grassroots organization composed
of individuals and organizations that are committed to engaging in
collective action at the local, state and national levels in order to
advance the equitable inclusion of the diverse Latino communities in all
aspects of United States society.
