GOP Majority in House Being Threatened by NY Redistricting Lawsuit Initiated by Dems

GOP Majority in House Being Threatened by NY Redistricting Lawsuit Initiated by Dems

Edited by: TJVNews.com

If left wingers in the New York state legislature have any say in the matter, the pathway to majority of Democrats in the House of Representatives may be heard in a courtroom in Albany.

A recent report in the New York Post indicated that in June, the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court in Albany will hear arguments in a case seeking to overturn New York’s current district lines and have them redrawn by the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission for the remainder of the decade.

This has some politicos and others concerned about  a scenario in which Democratic party candidates cannot lose elections and are guaranteed to win; thus eliminating the possibility of any Republican wins.

The Post reported that any new redistricting would result in Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island) and Rep. George Santos (R-Long Island) being ousted by Democrats. The report also indicated that Rep. Nick Lalota (R-Long Island), Rep. Mike Lawler (R-Rockland) and Rep. Brandon Williams (R-Syracuse) could also be in big trouble, GOP insiders say.

Currently, the Republican party holds a slim majority in the House and their gains in the last election did not meet their intended goals.  As such, this has left them with little room for error, the Post reported, in terms of retaining their seats. The report also said that in unusually competitive districts in 2022, the GOP had a strong showing in the polls and that was widely credited with providing their balance of victory. The Post also reported that if Democrats could turn all five NY seats, they would be well positioned to return to power.

Speaking to the Post, one top Republican congressional aide of the 2024 elections said, “It’s extremely serious. The House majority was built off the wins Republicans were able to secure in New York. If those maps are overturned the path to keeping the majority becomes a lot rockier.”

New York’s current districts were drawn up by an impartial special master because the commission could not agree on lines and the legislature’s subsequent gerrymander was dismissed by the courts, the Post reported.

The report also indicated that last week Governor Kathy Hochul and State Attorney General Letitia James jointly filed an amicus brief urging the court to jettison the current lines.

In a statement, Hochul said, “I am committed to protecting the rights of all New Yorkers to fully participate in our electoral system. We are urging the court to support the Constitutionally-protected process in order to ensure accountability and fairness for New York voters.”

Critics of redistricting say that the effort by Democrats in the House was nothing short of a naked power grab to ensure their victory in subsequent elections, the Post reported.

John Faso, a redistricting expert and a former Republican congressman from upstate New York told the Post that House Minority Leader “Hakeem Jeffries and his crew are behind this whole effort.”

Faso also told the Post that, “Their contention is that the redistricting that was mandated by the court last year only applied for 2022 and that for the rest of the decade the legislature and the IRC should have another crack at it. This is, as Joe Biden might say, malarkey. It is a ridiculous reading of the law and the constitution.”

Also weighing in on this issue was Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of Staten Island who told the Post, “Governor Hochul and the corrupt Democrats in Washington and Albany are trying to undermine our democracy and influence our elections once again. They are shameless and continue to disrespect the courts and our constituents, even after three different courts rejected their unconstitutional gerrymander.”