New York Must Redraw Congressional Districts, Court Rules —A Major Boon For Democrats

Topline

A New York court ruled in favor of Democrats’ effort to redraw the state’s congressional districts Thursday, allowing the party to reconfigure U.S. House districts ahead of the 2024 election and replace the lines used in 2022 that allowed New York Republicans to pick up a few congressional seats, though Republicans are expected to appeal.

Key Facts

What To Watch For

Republicans in New York are expected to appeal the decision. Former New York Rep. John Faso, who has helped organize redistricting efforts, told Politico: “We remain confident the Court of Appeals will uphold the decision in Harkenrider v. Hochul – that the fair lines established by the District Court will be maintained and will preserve the New York Constitution’s prohibition against mid-decade redistricting.”

Key Background

The decision follows a 2022 lawsuit from Democrats, who requested the bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission redraw the state’s congressional lines for the 2024 election to replace the court-drawn map for 2022. The state court threw out a map drawn by Democrats and approved by the legislature prior to the midterms, ruling it amounted to “partisan” gerrymandering that unfairly favored Democrats. Those redrawn lines from the court allowed Republicans to flip four New York congressional seats in the 2022 midterm elections.

Tangent

It’s not just New York that’s on the potential brink of more Democratic-leaning seats. Last month, the Supreme Court ruled Alabama must create a second congressional district populated with a majority of minorities after determining Alabama’s districts—which were redrawn after the 2020 census—likely violated the Voting Rights Act. The court said Alabama’s Republican-controlled legislature weakened the power of Black voters in the state. The ruling means the state will receive a second majority-Black voting district, which is likely to be more Democratic. In a similar case in Louisiana, the court dismissed the state’s appeal last month, which sought to prevent the state from redrawing its congressional map after claims it was minimizing the influence of Black voters.

Further Reading

NY Court Of Appeals Throws Out ‘Partisan’ Congressional Maps Drawn By Democrats (Forbes)