While New State Assembly Map Causes Some Uncertainty, Warren Remains Planted in District 21

Legislative and party leaders throughout New Jersey are scrambling to understand a new political landscape.

District 16 Assemblywoman Denise Coyle (R-Bernards) is one of them after her hometown was shifted to the 21st district under the .

While Coyle expects to have a better idea of her plans by the end of the week, she's certain she will seek another term.

"I am absolutely a candidate for assembly," Coyle said Monday evening.

With uncertainty surrounding much of the redistricting, Warren remains firmly planted in the 21st district.

The district is represented by Sen. Thomas Kean Jr. (R-Westfield), Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) and Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz (R-Summit).

Union County Republicans are expected to endorse Bramnick and Munoz for re-election during a county convention Thursday night. The Somerset County Republicans will hold their convention on the same night.

Union County Republicans have dominated the 21st district for the last decade, with Assembly candidates from outside of Union County not given much consideration during the special election conventions, which elected Bramnick and Munoz to vacant seats in 2003 and 2009.

Non-Union County challengers in the 2003 and 2009 GOP primaries also fared poorly against Bramnick, Munoz and Munoz' late husband, Eric, who preceded her in the Assembly.

The district, which spans Union, Somerset and Morris counties, now includes Chatham Borough, Bernards, Berkeley Heights, Cranford, Far Hills, Garwood, Kenilworth, Long Hill, Mountainside, New Providence, Roselle Park, Springfield, Summit, Warren, Watchung and Westfield.

“The district is still fairly Republican,” Bramnick said, stressing he represents all residents. “You are picking up Far Hills Bernards and Kenilworth.”

Bramnick said that while the new map has him in a Republican district for the next decade, he sees other changes with the town movement.

“What happens when you’re a legislator is the towns are your family, you become close to the mayors and council members,” he said. “It is my job to represent who I am assigned to represent.”

Coyle, a former Somerset County freeholder who has served as the 16th district's assemblywoman since 2008, said she believes the recarving of Somerset County from three assembly districts into six "harms Somerset County significantly."

However, Somerset County Democrat Chairwoman Peggy Schaffer said her party is already benefiting from the redistricting with a larger pool of candidates from the shift of the 16th district.

"We're very excited about it," she said. "The 16th district now leans toward the Democrats. This changes the whole landscape. We could never be competitive in this district. Now, all of a sudden, we now have more candidates than we know what to do with."

Somerset County has 300,000 residents, while other counties with four or five times greater population would have fewer districts under the new plan, Coyle said. "I wonder as to the legality," Coyle said.

She noted the state's Republican leaders are exploring options after Rutgers public policy professor Alan Rosenthal chose the Democrats' plan for redistricting to reflect a loss in population posted in the 2010 census.

John Celock contributed to this story.