Wash Heights' Congressional District Gets Bigger Swath Of Bronx

UPPER MANHATTAN, NY — Washington Heights and Inwood's congressional district gained territory new in The Bronx.

The proposed new lines for Congressional District 13, which is currently represented by Adriano Espaillat, don't make any changes in Manhattan, but do provide the district a bigger portion of Kingsbridge, Fordham, Tremon and Morris Heights in the Bronx.

The majority of these added areas are home to significant Dominican and Latino populations, where Espaillat has helped local elected officials win elections within.

Not that Espaillat needs help to win reelection, but the added numbers will almost certainly make it an easier task for the Dominican-born congress member.

“Those lines reflect almost like 100% of what I represent now, and the growth that I needed to have, because I lost population, was included in adjacent districts to where I represent right now,” Espaillat told THE CITY in a phone interview on Monday. “So I’m happy with this — it’s compact, and it’s contiguous, and I think it represents communities of common interests.”

“Knowing Mr. Espaillat the way I know him, the more Dominicans you can get into the district, the better for him,” Keith Wright told THE CITY, who ran against Espaillat in 2016.

After weeks of suspense, New York lawmakers have released their plans to redraw the state's congressional districts following the 2020 Census.

Released late Sunday, the maps were drawn by Democrats in the State Senate and Assembly after New York's independent redistricting commission failed to agree on any of its own proposed maps. The new proposals are expected to easily pass the state legislature this week, and will be in effect for June's primary elections.

In terms of takeaways for Upper Manhattan, the entirety of Washington Heights and Inwood will remain in Congressional District 13, which has been represented by Adriano Espaillat since the start of 2017.

Espaillat succeeded Charlie Rangel, who announced his retirement the year before.

The district currently includes Manhattan's two most uptown neighborhoods, along with parts of Harlem, and then Bronx neighborhoods such as Norwood, Jerome Park and Fordham.

Here is what the new District 13 would like, remaining the same in Manhattan but adding the previously mentioned Bronx areas.

New York's new maps are widely seen as an effort to protect Democratic incumbents while pushing out the state's Republican congress members. Nicole Malliotakis, the sole GOP member from New York City, now faces a much steeper road in November: with her Staten Island district now including liberal areas like Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Patch reporter Nick Garber contributed to this report.