New York high court tosses Democratic-drawn redistricting maps

New York’s highest court on Wednesday tossed out the state’s new congressional map, ruling that it amounted to an unconstitutional gerrymander intended to elect more Democrats.

The 4-3 ruling from the state Court of Appeals deals a major blow to Democrats’ redistricting efforts in an already-difficult year for the party nationally. The maps out of New York had emerged as a bright spot for Democrats, who sought to more aggressively push their political advantage in the state.

Republicans need to net just five seats in the House to recapture a majority.

The new congressional map, which was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in February, created 20 Democratic-leaning and four Republican-leaning seats. Two other seats would be competitive, though tilted Democratic. New York’s delegation is currently made up of 19 Democrats and eight Republicans. It is losing a seat during this redistricting cycle.

The court also struck down New York’s new state Senate map. 

In its ruling on Wednesday, the court — which is made up of seven judges appointed by Democrats — ordered new district lines to be drawn by a court-appointed special master ahead of this year’s midterm elections.

Writing for the majority, Chief Judge Janet DiFiore said that the new congressional map is “substantively unconstitutional as drawn with impermissible partisan purpose,” and rejected an argument that the new lines should be left in place because the 2022 election cycle is already underway.

“In other words, the State respondents urge that the 2022 congressional and senate elections be conducted using the unconstitutional maps, deferring any remedy for a future election,” she wrote. “We reject this invitation to subject the People of this state to an election conducted pursuant to an unconstitutional reapportionment.”

The opinion also criticized Democrats for bucking the will of New York voters who backed the creation of an independent redistricting commission in 2014. The Democratic-controlled state legislature effectively ignored the commission’s advice and opted to “compose its own redistricting maps with impunity,” DiFiore wrote.

“Through the 2014 amendments, the People of this state adopted substantial redistricting reforms aimed at ensuring that the starting point for redistricting legislation would be district lines proffered by a bipartisan commission following significant public participation, thereby ensuring each political party and all interested persons a voice in the composition of those lines,” she wrote.