New York State Court of Appeals
The New York State Court of Appeals has ordered the state to redraw its congressional map.
The 4 to 3 ruling on Tuesday hands Democrats a major win in the fight for control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the upcoming 2024 election.
New York’s bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission will be tasked with creating the new map. The Democratic-controlled State Legislature would have ultimate say over the new lines for New York’s 26 congressional districts.
The long-awaited decision could help Democrats in their quest to flip a key number of Republican-held House seats next year. The GOP currently holds an extremely thin majority in the chamber – one that grew even smaller with the recent expulsion of New York Republican George Santos.
Tuesday’s decision upends last year’s court-drawn map, which led to New York Republicans flipping four seats, victories that helped their party win a majority in the House in 2022.
New York Republicans, who immediately denounced the ruling, are likely to challenge any new map they see as gerrymandered by state Democrats.
State Senator George Borrello issued a statement saying, “The Court of Appeals decision that the congressional maps drawn by an independent expert should be thrown out and replaced with gerrymandered maps created by New York’s Democratic machine is deeply disappointing. The ruling confirms that Democrats have successfully weaponized our courts and tainted the last truly independent branch of state government.”
Governor Kathy Hochul and State Attorney General Letitia James said in a joint statement, “Today’s redistricting decision will ensure all New Yorkers are fairly and equitably represented by elected officials.”
The fight over New York’s congressional map stretches back to a constitutional amendment approved by voters that established the Independent Redistricting Commission to curb partisan gerrymandering.
But the bipartisan commission could not reach agreement on a map for use in the 2022 election following the 2020 census. The state legislature then intervened and drew its own map that heavily favored Democrats – but this map was later blocked by the Court of Appeals. A court-appointed special master then drew the map used during the 2022 election.
Democrats, arguing that the court-drawn map should not be used for more than one election, went to court again asking for the Independent Redistricting Commission to try again.
The Court of Appeals, now under more liberal control, agreed.
The court ordered the commission to create a map by February 28. Under state law, the legislature has the power to weigh in on the commission’s map.
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