Appellate court rules in favor of redrawing New York’s Congressional district lines

In a significant win for Democrats, a New York state appellate court on Thursday ruled in favor of the redrawing of the state’s congressional district lines.

The decision by the five-judge panel, split 3-2, tasked the state’s redistricting commission with creating new boundaries. This case holds potentially extensive implications for the state and national political landscape, given the GOP’s slim majority in the House of Representatives and New York’s critical battleground congressional districts.

The court’s decision overturns last year’s Republican-backed victory, where the state Court of Appeals allowed a lower court judge to appoint a special master to draw district lines, a process that resulted in the GOP gaining several House seats. If the redistricting commission fails to reach an agreement on the new map, the task will fall to the state Legislature, which is currently under a Democratic supermajority.

Despite this ruling, Republicans have declared their intention to appeal the decision to the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals.

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