Massive Victory for Republicans in NY as State’s Highest Court Rejects Dem Congressional Gerrymander

Republicans in New York scored a massive victory as the state’s highest court rejected a congressional gerrymander that was approved by Dem Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The ruling made by the state’s Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court that lawmakers lacked the authority to pass the congressional and state Senate maps after an independent redistricting commission failed to reach a consensus.

The judges said lawmakers had violated a 2014 constitutional amendment designed to rout out political gamesmanship in redistricting by gerrymandering the congressional maps in Democrats’ favor.

Redistricting expert Dave Wasserman said the ruling deprives Democrats of their most critical gerrymander of the 2022 cycle.

“In a 4-3 ruling, NY’s top court has turned Dems’ 2022 House outlook from terrible to potentially horrific. A court-appointed special master will draw a remedial map, perhaps costing Dems three NY seats they otherwise would have gained & making Rs clear redistricting winners,” Wasserman explained.

In a 4-3 ruling, NY's top court has turned Dems' 2022 House outlook from terrible to potentially horrific. A court-appointed special master will draw a remedial map, perhaps costing Dems three NY seats they otherwise would have gained & making Rs clear redistricting winners.

— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) April 27, 2022

The congressional and state Senate primary elections will likely be moved from June to August as well, due to the ruling.

In their lawsuit, the group of Republican voters said that not only were the maps gerrymandered, but also that the Legislature didn’t follow proper procedure in passing them.

New York’s new district maps were supposed to have been drawn by an independent commission under the process passed by voters in 2014.

That body, made up of equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans, however, couldn’t agree on one set of maps.

The Democratic-controlled Legislature then stepped in and created its own maps, which were quickly signed into law by Hochul.