After New York State’s Independent Redistricting Commission failed to agree on a final set of district maps to present to the Legislature for approval, the Democrat-controlled Legislature was able to draw the maps on their own. The Democrat-controlled Assembly and Senate quickly released proposed maps for new Congressional, Senate, and Assembly District lines that will have political repercussions for the next ten years. The new maps, unsurprisingly, give Democrats a large advantage in upcoming elections by adding “blue” areas to Republican-held seats across the State. As currently drawn, the maps could allow Democrats to pick up three seats in Congress while also helping them protect their supermajorities in the state Senate and Assembly. Additionally, the maps concentrate more political power downstate by moving two Senate seats from upstate New York to New York City.
The new maps must be approved by two-thirds of the Senate and Assembly, which is expected to occur in the coming days, and then signed by the Governor. As soon as the maps are adopted, it’s widely expected that they will be challenged in court.
To view the proposed maps for Congress, Senate, and Assembly, visit https://www.latfor.state.ny.us/maps/.
