STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A state appellate court ordered New York’s congressional district map back to the drawing board Thursday, bringing Democrats one step closer to what could be a more favorable layout.
Republicans want to see the case go to the state’s highest court, the New York Court of Appeals, in an effort to preserve the current layout that puts them in a more advantageous position.
“When Democrats can’t compete, they cheat,” Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Upstate) and New York Republican Party Chair Ed Cox said in a joint statement. “Their illegal gerrymander violated the State Constitution and bucked the will of the voters. The Court of Appeals must overturn this ruling, or Democrats will gerrymander the map to target political opponents and protect political allies — all to the People’s detriment.”
Last year, a Steuben County judge appointed Dr. Jonathan Cervas, of the Institute for Politics and Strategy at Carnegie Mellon University, to draw district lines for Congress and the state Senate — after state courts found Senate Democrats’ maps that Gov. Kathy Hochul approved were unconstitutional.
The maps Cervas produced put Republicans in a stronger position for last year’s elections. For example, his map linked Staten Island, the city’s most conservative borough, with more like-minded parts of southern Brooklyn — giving Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Southern Brooklyn) an advantage over her opponent, former Rep. Max Rose.
Malliotakis cruised to a cushy 24-point victory over Rose, who represented the district from 2018 to 2020, when he lost by a six-point margin.
An analysis from non-profit news organization THE CITY found that if the maps the state Senate drew remained in place — with Staten Island connected to more liberal Park Slope, Rose’s hometown — that the former congressman could’ve squeaked back into office with a 4,000-vote win.
Similar Republican-leaning districts around the state helped the GOP secure 11…
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