New York state's independent restricting commission proposes new set of district lines
NEW YORK -- With control of the House of Representatives hanging in the balance, New York state's independent redistricting commission proposes a new set of district lines.
This will have Democrats trying to unseat the six freshmen Republicans.
The state redistricting commission seemed to have one goal and one goal only this time: to appease both the Republicans and the Democrats, and hopefully avoid another messy court challenge.
The five Democrats and five Republicans on the state's independent redistricting commission showed an unusual amount of collegiality as they voted 9-1 to send the legislature a new set of congressional maps.
The maps, with a few exceptions, are very similar to the lines drawn by a special master that provoked anger and upset two years ago, especially since two Manhattan representatives, Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler, were forced to run against each other, and Maloney lost.
"The process was not without its challenges, but I am proud to say that we have worked cooperatively and collaboratively to address those challenges," commission chair Ken Jenkins said.
On the heels of Democrat Tom Suozzi flipping George Santos' old seat this week -- which gave Republicans a razor-thin majority in the House -- there is expected to be a high stakes and big bucks battle to flip the seats won last time by six Republicans as a red wave swept New York.
One of the six upstate Republicans, Brandon Williams, saw his 22nd Congressional District redrawn to include more Democrats from the city of Syracuse and the village of Auburn.
Other changes to upstate battleground districts include:
- giving Republican Congressman Marc Molinaro, the former Dutchess County executive, several conservative leaning areas in central New York, such as Otsego County;
- Democrat Pat Ryan benefitted from having Democratic areas north of Kingston added to his district;
- the new maps show few changes in New York City and Long Island;
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez regained Jackson Heights but lost parts of Corona to Grace Meng;
- Nydia Velasquez and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will split parts of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and the northern part of Bedford-Stuyvesant,
- And Squad member Jamaal Bowman, who is in a hot primary with Westchester County Executive George Latimer, saw his district relatively unchanged.
Jenkins said the lines "reflect every member's good faith effort."
The lines have to be approved by the state Legislature, which is controlled by Democrats.
Officials tell CBS New York political reporter Marcia Kramer they will allow Jeffries to weigh in before they vote.