Earlier this week, the state’s highest court, The New York State Court of Appeals, invalidated new district boundaries for the United States House of Representatives and the New York State Senate. The Court determined that the new district lines – largely drawn and passed in statute by state Senate and Assembly Democrats — to be unconstitutional and overly partisan. The once-a-decade reapportionment and redistricting process was intended to be adjudicated by the New York State Independent Redistricting Commission, made up of Democratic and Republican appointees, but gridlock dominated its deliberations.
A court-appointed special master in now charged with redrawing congressional and state senate districts in accordance with the constitution and free from partisan influence. As a result, Congressional and state Senate primary elections will now be held on Aug. 23, affording the special master time to deliver new district maps and candidates to qualify for the ballot in these contests. Primary elections for US Senate, statewide offices including Governor, and state Assembly are still scheduled to be held on June 28.
The Court of Appeals’ 4-3 decision has been hailed as a victory by Republican officials as a rebuke to overt partisan gerrymandering.
New York’s New LG
Governor Kathy Hochul named Rep. Antonio Delgado as New York’s next Lt. Governor and her running mate for the same office this election year following legislation passed and signed this week allowing political candidates charged with a crime to be removed from the ballot. First elected to Congress in 2018, Delgado currently represents New York’s 19th District which comprises portions of the Hudson Valley and the Capital Region. He replaces former Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin, who resigned from office in April after his arrest on federal bribery charges.
