NY Redistricting Commission Proposes New Congressional Map

NEW YORK — The New York State Independent Redistricting Commission has released its proposal for the state's congressional districts.

The current districts are outlined in green; the new lines are orange and where they overlap are a greenish-brown.

Before the 2022 election, the commissioners were unable to agree on new district boundaries based on the 2020 Census, so state lawmakers took on the job. A lawsuit challenging those boundaries for gerrymandering was successful. In December 2023, a court ordered the commission to return to work and submit a congressional redistricting plan leading to legislation no later than Feb. 28, 2024.

The commission submitted its plans to the State Legislature on Thursday.

The biggest changes would be in central New York. That affects District 19, which would be more compact in the Hudson Valley and the eastern southern tier. It would gain a sliver of northern Orange County and some of southern Rensselaer County and lose the northern edges of Cortland and Otsego counties, according to the State of Politics blog.

Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-19) said he didn't think it was necessary to revisit these maps "but I'm not going to harp on the past. These changes keep intact the regional identity of my district and allow me to keep fighting for the families, farmers, and small businesses that call Upstate New York home."

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-17) disagreed about the necessity for redistricting.

"New Yorkers have made their voices heard loud and clear from the onset of this redistricting process - they demand fair and competitive maps," he said in a statement. "Any effort to alter these maps should be viewed as another attempt at a partisan gerrymander and should be rejected writ large. I urge all Congressional candidates, including my opponent, to join me in calling on the Legislature and the Governor to expedite this process for the benefit of all New Yorkers."

Alison Esposito, who is challenging Rep. Pat Ryan (D-18), said she thought the 2022 maps should stand.

Ryan said, "No matter where the district lines fall, no matter which Trump-picked extremist they run against me, the choice this fall is clear."

Democrat George Latimer, who is challenging Rep. Jamaal Bowman in lower Westchester and the Bronx, said "This is only the next step in a long process; it is now in the hands of the legislature, and we are confident in the ability of Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie to complete this process fully and fairly. ... Regardless of the timing or the ultimate disposition of the lines, we look forward to continuing to bring our message of progressive results that benefit the people of our area, in whatever neighborhood they live and in whatever jurisdictions are ultimately assigned to CD-16."

This go-round, the commission had a large majority in support to submit the map and plan to the
Legislature, the commissioners said in their letter to legislative leaders.

"The Commission considered 'the maintenance of cores of existing districts, of preexisting political subdivisions, including counties, cities, and towns, and of communities of interest.' N.Y. Const. art. III, § 4(c)(5). To the extent practicable, districts were drawn to contain equal populations, or as nearly as may be an equal number of inhabitants. Id. § 4(c)(2). All districts were drawn to consist of contiguous territory and to be as compact as practicable given the Commission’s adherence to the foregoing principles. Id. §§ 4(c)(3), (4).

"District lines were further drawn to ensure that no district shall have the purpose of, nor
result in, the denial or abridgement of racial or language minority voting rights. Id. §
4(c)(1). No district was drawn to discourage competition or for the purpose of favoring
or disfavoring incumbents or other candidates or political parties. Id. § 4(c)(5)," the letter said.