Tuesday, the highest court in New York issued an order mandating the creation of a new congressional map. This development is discouraging for Republicans, who gained ground in the blue state during the previous redistricting cycle.
The New York Court of Appeals ruled, by a vote of 4-3, that the Independent Redistricting Commission may redraw the boundaries prior to the 2024 election.
Upon completion of the process, which is scheduled to conclude at the end of February, a Democratic-controlled state legislature will be required to ratify the resulting map.
“In 2014, the voters of New York amended our Constitution to provide that legislative districts be drawn by an Independent Redistricting Commission. The Constitution demands that process, not districts drawn by courts.” Chief Judge Rowan Wilson stated in the opinion.
A legal challenge supported by Democrats and opposed by Republicans ensued in the wake of a dramatic sequence of events concerning redistricting in 2022, which led to the current ruling.
Stefanik and the NYGOP chair: "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 … The people of New York deserve better than this.” https://t.co/3x3GRAoxRT
— Kevin Frey (@KevinFreyTV) December 12, 2023
State Democrats drew their own boundaries after the commission failed to reach a consensus on a map; the high court rejected these boundaries as too partisan and entrusted a special master with devising a solution.
The 2022 election cycle witnessed the Republicans seize control of the House of Representatives by gaining a small number of seats in New York on the special master’s map. In 2024, however, their fortunes might be reversed due to the court’s recent decision.
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