Latino Action Network President Christian Estevez issued the following statement in reaction to the appointment of Laura Matos to the New Jersey Apportionment Commission:

We thank New Jersey Democratic Party Chairman LeRoy Jones for appointing a Latina to the New Jersey Apportionment Commission. Laura Matos is a prominent member of our community and has a long, successful track record in state politics and public affairs. Latinos represent more than 20 percent of the New Jersey population, and from the beginning of this process we have called on the Commission to properly represent our state’s diversity.

While this appointment is a good first step toward representation, it is critical that in the coming weeks the Commission work closely with advocates to develop a set of state legislative maps that properly represent our state and our community and build on the gains we made during the last legislative reapportionment process. Our state is the most diverse in the nation, and our Legislature must reflect that fact.