[Alberta's Child]

Oddly enough, New Jersey happens to have some of the most reliably Republican districts in the nation. Scott Garrett, for example, represents a semi-rural district in the northwest corner of the state — and his track record makes him look like a rural Texan.

[Clemenza]

The "nonpartisan" redistricting committee in New Jersey has traditionally drawn districts so that they criss-cross the state in an east-west fashion. Outside of the two "minority-plurality" districts (Payne and Sires), this is still the case. However, they also have a tendency to cluster all of the high density areas into Dem districts, while leaving most of the exurban and rural areas in Republican districts. Rush Holt is my congressman largely because the district was redrawn to include all of Trenton, to say nothing of Princeton. Same goes for Frank Pallone, who has the high density Dem strongholds in Middlesex County (Edison, New Brunswick, Woodbrige) to overwhelm the GOP leaning areas in Monmouth.

By contrast, the only urban/high density areas in GOP districts are Plainfield (in Mike Ferguson's district) and Atlantic City (in LoBiondo's district) but, in both cases, the rural and exurban areas have the balance of the population.

[Kuksool]

When Garrett decided to run for Congress, the NJ GOP feared he was too extreme. The state party and media said only Christie Whitman types can win in Jersey. Garrett received little support from the state party. The retiring RINO incumbent (Marge Rokemuna Sp?)did not endorse him at all. He did win the general election proving the Jersey RINOs wrong.

What I fear about a Giuliani White House is that he will put Jersey RINOs in charge of the national parties who will insist on running Christie Whitman types in MS and UT.

[minor49er]

I live in Scott Garrett’s district. Our town is so Republican, we have two Republican Parties, because the actual Republicans aren’t Republican enough for some voters here.