New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed off on a new congressional map Thursday that analysts believe is more favorable to Democrats than the prior map.
The new map has drawn criticism from state Republicans who have accused the Democrats of “illegally gerrymandering themselves into permanent power” and have said they are evaluating their legal options.
NEW YORK LEGISLATURE PASSES CONGRESSIONAL MAP THAT COULD FLIP THREE SEATS TO DEMOCRATS
“These bills are necessary to reapportion districts and to provide certainty and clarity regarding such districts in a timely manner, allowing for efficient administration of the electoral process. The enactment of these bills marks the culmination of the legal process of redistricting,” said a document indicating that Hochul had signed the redistricting legislation.
The new map could tilt Democrats’ 19-8 hold on the state’s congressional seats to 22–4, marking one of the biggest seat shifts in the country, according to Dave Wasserman, a national elections analyst with the Cook Political Report. The new map has also caught the attention of former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is mulling a congressional run, according to Politico.
The New York Republican Party expressed its outrage and created a petition to protest the new map. In late January, Nick Langworthy, the state’s GOP chairman, said in a statement that the party was considering its legal options on the map.
Democrats have hijacked the redistricting process and are illegally gerrymandering themselves into permanent power. We’re asking every New Yorker to help us stop the #HOCHULmander by SIGNING OUR PETITION TODAY!⬇️https://t.co/JhDLc9XeZ5 pic.twitter.com/7MgHzPVMSj
— New York GOP (@NewYorkGOP) February 4, 2022
The new map eliminates the district held by Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney and merges two districts held by Republican Reps. Lee Zeldin and Andrew Garbarino. Additionally, Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’s district will become more favorable for Democrats.
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The New York State Assembly passed the new map 103–45 Wednesday and the Senate 43–20 later that day. Both are controlled by Democrats. The map was initially going to be drawn by an independent commission, but it failed to reach an agreement on the map and sent different proposals to the state Legislature in early January.
The state lost a congressional seat during the most recent census and will now have 26 seats for the next decade. The new census data come out every 10 years, and states reevaluate their congressional district maps in response.
