US redistricting hurts women lawmakers

Story from NJ April 26, 2011

Republicans have insisted they were short-changed in the latest round of legislative redistricting.

So were women, according to a Rutgers University report released on Monday.

Women account for four of the seven lawmakers whose political careers ended because of the new political boundaries.

The four female Assembly members declined to seek re-election after they were assigned to different districts.

Joan Quigley (Hudson County) said she may run for a political office in two years, though not necessarily in the legislature.

“I don’t think it’s unfair,” she said. “I think it’s unfortunate.”

She thinks women are “more rooted than men are”, and have a harder time moving.

“We don’t pack up and move that quickly. We stay in one place. We have family responsibilities – kids in school, husbands with jobs – so we can’t just say, OK, we’re moving two towns away.”

One position was replaced on the ballot by another woman, but the other 3 slots are likely to go to men.

Democratic State Chairman John Wisniewski, who led the Democrats redistricting team, said the possible decline of female lawmakers “is not a good thing”.

“I would agree with their underlying argument that there should be more women in the Legislature,” he said. “The map, however, is gender-neutral.”