ALBANY – New York’s highest court ruled that the state’s congressional lines must be redrawn ahead of the 2024 elections, handing a victory to Democrats that could help swing control of U.S. Congress.
In a 4-3 decision issued Tuesday, the state Court of Appeals found that a ruling issued by the court in 2022 applied only to that year’s congressional elections.
A mid-level state appellate court ruled on Thursday that New York’s congressional district lines must be redrawn ahead of the 2024 elections.
Congressional districts drawn by a court-appointed special master contributed to an unusually strong showing by Republicans in New York congressional races last year, a key to Republicans narrowly winning a majority in Congress.
Ahead of the 2024 elections, Republicans wanted the lines drawn last year to be set until the next federal census in 2030, and the next round of legislative redistricting.
But Democrats wanted congressional district lines redrawn by a bipartisan state commission, something a midlevel appeals court in July ordered to happen.
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That bipartisan panel, created through a 2014 constitutional amendment, deadlocked 5-5 prior to the 2022 elections and was unable to draw district lines. That left the Democratic-controlled Legislature to draw lines as the Legislature had done for decades. But the Court of Appeals ruled in 2022 that the Legislature drew the congressional and Senate lines in an illegal way.
Because of the ruling Tuesday, the bipartisan commission will again be charged with drawing lines for the next decade. If it deadlocks again – as is likely – the Democratic-controlled Legislature would again attempt to draw those lines.
The court’s opinion was written by Chief Judge Rowan Wilson, who is leading a new, liberal majority on the Court of Appeals.
This year, Wilson replaced former Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, who had been part of the 4-3 decision in 2022 that overturned congressional district lines drawn by Democrats.
Wilson was confirmed as chief judge this year after the Democratic-controlled State Senate rejected Gov. Kathy Hochul’s first nominee for chief judge, Hector LaSalle, a centrist.
Democrats in the Senate expressed concern about LaSalle’s record on issues like criminal justice and union rights, but Republicans argued that LaSalle’s rejection was actually based on Democrats’ desire to reverse the Court of Appeals’ prior ruling on the redistricting case.
“Today’s decision by the Court of Appeals is disappointing to all New Yorkers who voted resoundingly to reject Democrats’ blatant attempts to gerrymander districts in their favor,” said Republican State Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt of North Tonawanda.
“Instead of respecting the will of the voters and the initial ruling by the Court of Appeals, Democrats doubled down and stacked the Court, weaponizing our judicial system in an effort to get the decision they wanted,” Ortt said. “This decision diminishes the voice of millions of New Yorkers who demanded fairness, transparency and accountability in the redistricting process and marks the beginning of an era of partisan decision-making in New York’s highest court.”
It's unclear whether the new lines will apply to special elections early next year to replace Rep. Brian Higgins, a Buffalo Democrat who plans to resign to lead Shea's Performing Arts Center, and former Rep. George Santos, a Long Island Republican who was expelled from Congress recently amid revelations of campaign finance violations and resume fabrication.
Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner, who holds huge sway over who the Democratic candidate will be to replace Higgins in the heavily Democratic 26th congressional district, did not return a request for comment.
But next November, a redrawing of the congressional map could also affect two Republican lawmakers who represent parts of Western New York: Rep. Nick Langworthy and Rep. Claudia Tenney.
Langworthy – who, as state Republican chairman, led the 2022 legal fight that resulted in the map rejected by the state's highest court on Tuesday – was less than impressed with the latest court ruling.
“The court has demonstrated that it is not independent from political influence,” Langworthy said.
Buffalo News Washington enterprise reporter Jerry Zremski contributed to this report.