Democrats in the New York Legislature have rejected a congressional map drawn by the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission, as they believe it does not provide an advantage to their party in battleground House races. The move comes as Democrats aim to craft new lines that will help them in key races that could determine control of Congress after the November elections. The Democrat-dominated state Legislature will now need to submit and approve a new set of congressional lines, which is expected to happen in the coming days, with Republicans already threatening a legal challenge.
The Independent Redistricting Commission had previously approved a map that would have benefited Democrats in two districts and a Republican in one, but left most of the current district lines unchanged. Democrats criticized this map, arguing that it did not adequately represent communities of interest and did not align with the party’s goals in the upcoming elections. Democrats are now expected to draft new maps that will be more advantageous for their congressional candidates, while also balancing the state’s prohibition against partisan gerrymandering.
The redistricting commission was established by voters through a constitutional amendment and was tasked with drawing the state’s congressional map before the 2022 elections. However, the commission failed to reach a consensus, leading Democrats to step in and draw a map that concentrated Republican voters into a few super districts. This move was met with legal challenges from Republicans who argued that it would unfairly benefit Democrats, ultimately resulting in a delay in congressional primaries and a court-appointed expert drafting a new map for 2022.
After the 2022 elections, in which Republicans were able to flip congressional seats in the New York City suburbs and secure a narrow House majority, Democrats sued to have the 2022 maps thrown out. The courts allowed the redistricting commission to redraw the lines, resulting in a compromise that largely kept the court’s 2022 lines in place, with only minor changes to three competitive districts. U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who is leading Democrats’ efforts to regain House seats in New York, criticized the commission’s proposal, stating that it ignored concerns about dividing communities and would violate the New York State Constitution by helping an incumbent Republican.
State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt accused Democrats of attempting to create their own gerrymandered maps in a “shameful power grab,” emphasizing that Albany Democrats are prioritizing their own political interests over the demands of New Yorkers for a fair and transparent redistricting process. The upcoming changes to the congressional map in New York will have significant implications for both parties as they vie for control of the House in the upcoming elections.
