Republicans aren’t giving up on keeping New York’s current congressional map in place for the 2024 elections despite the state’s top court ordering new district lines earlier this month.
The Dec. 12 decision by the Court of Appeals opened the door for the Democrat-dominated state Legislature to redraw New York’s 26 congressional districts in time for next year’s elections, should lawmakers reject whatever map an independent redistricting panel comes up with first.
It was a major win for congressional Democrats, who supported the lawsuit to force new district boundaries after ceding four seats to GOP candidates in last year’s elections — which helped Republicans take control of the House of Representatives.
But top New York Republicans see a path where they could challenge any Democrat-drawn lines in court if they’re crafted to benefit the Democratic Party — a move that would allow the GOP to argue that the 2024 elections should proceed with the current congressional map in place.
“If Democrats insist on doing that, then inevitably this will wind up back in court and we’ll wind up running the ‘24 elections on the current lines because the process will be extraordinarily delayed,” said former Rep. John Faso, a Hudson Valley Republican who is helping lead his party’s redistricting efforts.
It all means New York voters face a potentially monthslong wait for the legal dust to settle, which will help determine which congressional district they’ll be in for next year’s key elections that will help decide which party controls the House.
The fate of New York’s congressional districts has ping-ponged its way through the state’s court system for the last two years, culminating with the Court of Appeals decision earlier this month.
The court’s decision found the state Independent Redistricting Commission — a panel of five Democratic and five Republican loyalists largely appointed by legislative leaders — should get a second crack at drawing…
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