New York lawmakers approve new congressional map that tilts in Democrats’ favor

The legislation next goes to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul for her signature.

Under the new map, Democrats appear poised to gain more of a partisan advantage in two districts in the Empire State – closely watched as a key battleground in the fight for control of House, where Republicans currently hold a razor-thin majority. House GOP gains in New York in 2022 helped the party seize control of the chamber in that year’s midterm elections.

The map would put at risk a central New York seat represented by freshman Republican Brandon Williams by adding more territory friendly to Democrats, and it would shore up Democrat Tom Suozzi’s Long Island seat, which the party flipped earlier this month in a special election to succeed expelled former Rep. George Santos.

Additionally, the state lawmakers made a Hudson Valley seat now held by Republican freshman Marc Molinaro more competitive than the district lines proposed by the New York Independent Redistricting Commission. But the new district’s partisan balance would remain similar to the seat Molinaro currently holds.

Democrats, who control both chambers of the New York Legislature, on Monday rejected the redistricting commission’s map – saying it inappropriately divided counties and communities of interest, while going too far to protect incumbents.

But state lawmakers – wary of triggering a new round of lawsuits over redistricting – steered clear of an aggressive partisan gerrymander that some observers speculated could have yielded as many as six Democratic pickups. A handful of Republicans supported the map.

During floor debate this week, several Republicans accused Democrats of ignoring the will of state voters who had approved a constitutional amendment that helped to set up the bipartisan commission to draw district lines.

Democrats are saying “good riddance to independent redistricting,” GOP state Rep. Andy Goodell said Wednesday.

But Democratic state Rep. Kenneth Zebrowski cast the legislature’s map as more of collaboration with the commission, saying lawmakers made needed changes “in a handful of cases” to better comply with principles in the state’s constitution.

New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries – the top Democrat in the US House and the person who stands to become speaker if his party wins the majority this year – praised the state lawmakers’ action Wednesday, saying that the final map “delivers the type of fair representation that the people of New York State deserve.”

Democrats also approved separate legislation that limits the jurisdictions in which lawsuits about congressional redistricting can be brought – in an apparent effort to keep any challenge to the map from appearing before conservative judges.

CNN’s Gloria Pazmino contributed to this report.

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