State Legislature OKs congressional maps that favor Democrats

ALBANY – The Democratic-dominated State Legislature overwhelmingly approved a new congressional map for New York on Wednesday, one that could cut the Republican delegation in half.

Voting along party lines, the State Assembly approved the new map, 103-45, with just two Democrats joining Republicans in opposition. In the Senate, the bill sailed through, 43-20, after a relatively short debate.

The state’s new congressional map appears to favor Democrats in as many as 22 of the state’s 26 districts, according to political analysts. That would be a sharp change from the state’s current roster of 19 Democrats and 8 Republicans and provide the party a boost in the national fight for control of Congress.

Republicans called the new maps "gerrymandered" and "outrageous," but, dramatically outnumbered in the legislature, they had little power to stop it.

"How can you say with a straight face this wasn’t meant to discourage competition?" Assemb. Michael Lawler (R-Pearl River) said during the Assembly debate.

Democrats countered they are making changes to a map that, for decades when control of the legislature was split, gave Republicans outsized influence in a blue state.

"We’ve come up with fair maps that the state can be proud of," said Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria).

The bill now goes to Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, who is expected to sign it into law Thursday, officials said.

Also on Thursday, the legislature plans to approve a separate bill to redraw Senate and Assembly districts. Those maps won’t contain as many dramatic changes as the congressional one, but will feature some new configurations, such as creating, for the first time, two minority-majority Senate districts on Long Island.

At issue is the once-a-decade process of congressional redistricting around the nation that must follow the latest U.S. Census. New York is losing one congressional seat, giving it 26 representatives.

To make that change, an upstate seat essentially is being cannibalized because the region’s share of the state’s population shrank compared with downstate. As a result, the new map shifts many of New York’s districts north and west compared with the map drawn in 2012.

On Long Island, Democrats have redrawn the 3rd Congressional District – currently held by Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) – to become a "Sound Shore" district running from Head of the Harbor to Port Chester. It will now include parts of Suffolk, Nassau, Queens, Bronx and Westchester counties – and feature more Democratic voters than it did in 2020.

Sen. Tom O’Mara (R-Elmira), during Wednesday’s debate, called this boundary "egregiously drawn," running more than 60 miles through communities with little in common to create a Democratic-favorable district.

"These communities are all Sound Shore districts, Sound Shore communities. All shore concerns, especially environmental concerns, around the waterfront," Gianaris replied.

The new 1st District – held by Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), who is running for governor – will include big chunks of Islip and extend just north of Farmingdale in Nassau County, among other changes. It would go from a district that favored Donald Trump in 2020 by 52% to 47% to one that favored Biden 55%-44%, analysts have found.

The new 2nd District – held by Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) -- becomes more Republican: Going from 52%-48% in favor of Trump to 57%-43%.

Republicans have vowed to sue to block the maps, though experts said they may face long odds. O’Mara and others said the process was rushed with no chance for public hearings or vetting of the maps, which were unveiled Sunday.

But Gianaris said the political calendar was an issue, with state conventions set for later this month and the petition period for getting on the ballot set to begin March 1.