New York’s highest court on Tuesday tossed out the state’s congressional map and ordered new ones to be drawn up ahead of the 2024 election — potentially giving Democrats a major edge in several hotly contested districts next year.
The 4-3 decision from the New York Court of Appeals will require the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission to have another crack at coming up with new districts ahead of what is expected to be a battleground for control of the House of Representatives.
The ruling was immediately hailed by Democrats and ripped by Republicans — who said they feared it will lead to more gerrymandered districts that will not be balanced by political party and will be harder for them to win.
“There’s nothing fair about this,” swing district Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) said in a post on X. “Dragging redistricting on for years will create more confusion and frustration for voters. We have to get these lines finalized.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul, however, claimed the ruling was fair.
“Today’s redistricting decision will ensure all New Yorkers are fairly and equitably represented by elected officials,” she said Tuesday.
“As the Court of Appeals reaffirmed today, district lines should be drawn by the Independent Redistricting Commission. We will continue our efforts to protect voting rights for all New Yorkers.”
The development comes after the high court had ruled last year that the Democrat-controlled legislature unconstitutionally approved gerrymandered districts in their favor, which led to a court-appointed special master to redraw them for last year’s midterms.
Dems subsequently sued to have the court-drawn map tossed after their party lost a handful of seats in the election – handing control of the House over to Republicans.
“In 2014, the voters of New York amended our Constitution to provide that legislative districts be drawn by an Independent Redistricting Commission,” Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson wrote in his decision to toss the current map.
“The Constitution demands that process, not districts drawn by courts.”
The ruling, which upheld the challenge by Democrats, gives the commission until Feb. 28, 2024 to file a new map.
It will then have to go before the Dem-controlled legislature for approval.
Ken Jenkins, the chair of the redistricting commission said: “We are pleased with the Court of Appeals’ decision and look forward to getting back to work with our colleagues as soon as possible to ensure that New York’s voters receive the benefit of the historic redistricting reforms they voted for in 2014.”
The current court-drawn map includes five GOP-controlled districts that are currently rated as toss ups in the lead up to the 2024 election, according to the Cook Political Report.
Republicans have already vowed to battle it out in court.
“The decision today opens the door for Democrats to rig our Congressional district lines so that elections are decided not by the voters, but by politicians in a back room,” House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and NYGOP Chair Ed Cox said in a joint statement.
“New York Republicans will not give up the fight against gerrymandering and for free and fair elections. The people of New York deserve better than this.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee, too, ripped the decision.
“We are disappointed, but not surprised by the Court’s decision to allow Democrats a second attempt at gerrymandering the maps. Instead of focusing on policies that appeal to everyday voters, Democrats are trying to cheat their way to power,” the committee’s chair, Savannah Viar, said.
The court’s decision puts New York’s congressional races, once again, in upheaval with incumbents and challengers on both sides of the aisle unsure if they’ll still reside in the district where they’re currently running in the lead up to 2024.
In last year’s midterms, the redrawn 12th district – spanning the Upper West Side and Upper East Side – pitted longtime Democratic Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Jerry Nadler against each other.
Meanwhile, in the redrawn 17th district, Rep. Mondaire Jones agreed not to run for reelection after he was lumped into a district with fellow Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.
The latter went on to lose the general election to the GOP’s Rep. Mike Lawler.
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