Paul Bass Photo
Two New Haven Dems who got shafted in redistricting: Lemar (above) and Holder-Winfield (below).
Melissa Bailey Photo
On the wings of a new “butterfly” of a district, East Rock’s freshman state legislator Roland Lemar found himself exploring new political terrain Thursday — in the northern reaches of East Haven. Newhallville’s Gary Holder-WInfield, meanwhile, will be getting to know some folks in Hamden.
Lemar jumped in his car Thursday to get to know the new 96th General Assembly District, which legislative leaders have dramatically redrawn in the statewide redistricting that just wrapped up in the Capitol.
Lemar’s district, which had straddled New Haven and Hamden, will now be split between New Haven and East Haven.
It’s one of a couple of major changes to the General Assembly districts that cover New Haven. Click to compare the old map to the new one.
State Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield’s 94th District is currently contained within New Haven’s borders. Starting next year, he’ll be half in Hamden and half in New Haven. Holder-Winfield said he’s not happy about the change.
In another boundary shift, New Haven’s delegation in Hartford will include a new face. West Haven’s State Rep. Louis Esposito Jr. has picked up a small piece of the Hill — now held by State Rep. Juan Candelaria — to add to his 116th District. Esposito couldn’t be reached for comment.
Other New Haven General Assembly and State Senate districts remain largely unchanged. State Sen. Martin Looney added a small part of North Haven to his senate district, which previously comprised only parts of New Haven and Hamden.
Click here for the new statewide House map, and here for the Senate map.
The new boundaries will go into effect when representatives are sworn in for the term starting in 2013. That means that State Rep. Lemar, for example, will not start representing East Haven for more than a year, but will have to campaign there to be re-elected to the 96th District seat.
The 96th (in pink) ain’t what it used to be.
The new 96th District will include part of downtown New Haven that now belongs to Holder-Winfield’s 94th. It’s hard to imagine that his new district goes from 360 State and the New Haven Green to the border of North Branford, Lemar said.
Lemar said he first saw the shape of his destiny Wednesday night.
“It is certainly artistic,” he said of the new shape. “People keep telling me it’s the most absurd-looking district they see across the state.”
Lemar said his first reaction was bemusement. “I think I had a bewildered smirk on my face.”
Some people have described the shape to Lemar as a “butterfly,” he said. Someone said it looks like the arms of someone running, without a head or body.
Someone also suggested that the only way to get from one end of the district to the other would be to hike through the woods. Not true, Lemar said. There are at least two roads that allow for a trans-district voyage.
Lemar said it will be a challenge to introduce himself all over again to a new set of constituents in the new 96th. “Today I spent some time driving it, trying to figure out the best way to make connections,” Lemar said. He made a few “random stop-ins” to say hi to people, including in the parking lot of John and Maria’s Pizzeria in East Haven.
Lemar said that despite the new boundaries of his political territory, he’s found that people’s concerns are the same: jobs, kids, schools, health care, neighborhoods, and having a good future.
Holder-Winfield was not as sanguine about his new district, which is now split between Hamden and New Haven. “I’m not happy with that,” he said. “I’m used to the district I have. I know the people I have.”
“Fifty-50 is a huge change,” he said. “I’ll work with it of course. My initial reaction is I’m not happy.”
Holder-Winfield said he was not expecting to take over part of Hamden, and certainly not to have his district split half and half.
Holder-Winfield said he doesn’t think the demographics of his new district are wildly different than those in his current one, which largely comprises Newhallville. But the new map does make it less likely that a minority candidate could win in Hamden’s 91st District, currently held by State Rep. Peter Villano.