1. NJ will vote on constitutional amendment to postpone legislative redistricting if census data isn’t received by Feb. 15
2. Previewing the Washington gubernatorial primary
3. Briefing: Looking back at the 2020 primaries

NJ will vote on constitutional amendment to postpone legislative redistricting if census data isn’t received by Feb. 15

On Nov. 3, New Jersey voters will decide a constitutional amendment that would postpone state legislative redistricting until after the 2021 election if federal census data isn’t received by Feb. 15, 2021. If redistricting is postponed, the current state legislative districts, which have been used since 2011, would remain in use for the 2021 election. New districts would be used beginning in 2023. 

The constitutional amendment would also use this delayed timeline in future redistricting cycles if census data isn’t received by Feb. 15 of the year after the census (2031, 2041, 2051, and so on). 

Following the 2010 redistricting process, New Jersey was the first state to implement new state legislative maps, approving them on April 3, 2011. Louisiana, Iowa, Virginia, and Indiana followed New Jersey.

Both chambers of the New Jersey State Legislature passed the constitutional amendment on July 30. A 60% vote was required in both chambers. The General Assembly voted 51-26, and the State Senate voted 25-15. Democrats, along with one Senate Republican, supported the amendment. All other Republicans opposed it. 

Asm. John McKeon (D-27), one of the amendment’s sponsors, said that because the coronavirus pandemic has delayed the completion of the federal census, “there’s just not a lot of good options here.” Currently, the U.S. Census Bureau has delayed the expected delivery of redistricting data to states to July 31, 2021. New Jersey’s primary elections are scheduled for June 8, 2021. 

The New Jersey Republican Party opposed the amendment. Party chairman Doug Steinhardt said, “The people of New Jersey deserve legislators that reflect the political and demographic makeup of our great state, and they haven’t enjoyed that in at least a decade. Democrats pushing this amendment to delay redistricting are trying to kill a fly with a sledgehammer, and are aiming to extend their majority for an additional two years.”

The constitutional amendment is the third to be referred to the state’s Nov. 3 ballot. Voters will also decide a constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana and a constitutional amendment to make veterans eligible to receive the state’s veterans property tax deduction. Redistricting measures will also be on the ballot in Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri, North Dakota, Oregon, and Virginia.

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Previewing the Washington gubernatorial primary

As I wrote Monday, we’re bringing you coverage of the five states holding primaries today (Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington). Leading up to the elections, we’ve been previewing the 18 battleground primaries being held in the five states. Today, let’s wrap things up by looking at the four battlegrounds in Washington.

Washington gubernatorial election (top-two primary)

Thirty-six candidates, including incumbent Jay Inslee (D), are running in the top-two primary for governor of Washington. In a top-two primary, every candidate for a particular office appears on the same ballot and the top two finishers, regardless of their partisan affiliation, advance to the general election. This is the largest number of candidates running for governor in the state since at least 2012. 

Local political observers consider Inslee, who has led in publicly available polling and is the top fundraiser, to be likely to finish in one of the two top spots needed to advance. Inslee would be the second governor in Washington's history to win election to a third consecutive term. The first was Daniel Evans (R) in 1972.

Each of Inslee's top four challengers by fundraising totals and polling is a Republican: former Bothell mayor Joshua Freed, police chief Loren Culp, ballot measure sponsor Tim Eyman, and physician Raul Garcia each raised $350,000 or more.

The other candidates on the ballot include four other Democrats, seven Republicans, three independents, and 12 candidates associated with other political parties. Since the 2008 election, the first year Washington used top-two primaries, every gubernatorial election has resulted in one Democrat and one Republican advancing to the general election.

Washington’s 10th Congressional District (top-two primary)

Nineteen candidates—eight Democrats, eight Republicans, one independent, one Essential Workers Party candidate, and one Congress Sucks Party candidate—are running in the primary. Incumbent Denny Heck (D) is not running for re-election and is instead running for lieutenant governor. Media outlets have focused on Democrats Beth Doglio, Phil Gardner, Kristine Reeves, and Marilyn Strickland. Doglio was elected to the state House in 2016. Reeves served in the state House from 2017 to 2019. Strickland was mayor of Tacoma from 2010 to 2017 and is CEO of the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce. Gardner was Heck's district director. Election forecasters rate the general election as Solid or Safe Democratic. Hillary Clinton (D) won the district 51% to 40% in 2016.

Washington lieutenant gubernatorial election (top-two primary)

In the lieutenant gubernatorial primary, five Republicans, four Democrats, and two Libertarians are running for the office currently held by Cyrus Habib (D). Habib is not seeking re-election and is instead leaving office to join the Jesuit Order. Local political observers have identified state Sen. Marko Liias (D), Habib's endorsed candidate, and U.S. Rep. Denny Heck (D), who is backed by former Gov. Christine Gregoire (D), as top candidates.

Washington attorney general election (top-two primary)

The primary for attorney general features incumbent Bob Ferguson (D) and three Republican challengers. All three say Ferguson's participation in interstate lawsuits challenging Trump administration policies has politicized the office. The last Republican to serve as state attorney general was Rob McKenna (R), who was elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2008.

Briefing: Looking back at the 2020 primaries

The 2020 primary season is almost over, but before we enter the final stretch leading up to Nov. 3, we’re pausing to look back at what’s happened in this year’s primaries. Join Ballotpedia staff writer David Luchs and me as we look at some of the most memorable primaries this year and a preview of what's in store for the remaining ones in August and September.

We’ve covered primaries in 31 states so far, with 19 left to go. Five members of the U.S. House have lost their party’s nomination in primaries or conventions—join us as we look at each of those instances in more detail. And we’ll discuss the upcoming primary calendar and look ahead at the general election landscape.

The briefing is today, Aug. 4, at 11:00 am CDT. Click here to reserve your spot.

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