The New York Court of Appeals on Tuesday ordered that the state’s congressional map be redrawn heading into 2024. The ruling is a massive victory for Democrats as the party looks to retake control of the House.
The court, in a 4-3 opinion, ordered that the state’s redistricting commission redraw a new map by Feb. 28, 2024. However, the Democratic-controlled Legislature will ultimately get final say over the map, according to NBC News.
The decision upends the 2022 map that saw Republicans flipped four seats in the state and help the party secure a very narrow majority in the US House of Representatives.
Democrats are celebrating the ruling.
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) called the ruling a “win for democracy” and said Democrats are “eager for the Independent Redistricting Commission to get back to work to create a new, fair congressional map.”
“I am confident that the independent commission can conduct a transparent process that will lead to a congressional map that more accurately reflects trends of the state’s Census data and the will of the voters,” John Bisognano, president of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement.
Republicans meanwhile are criticizing the ruling.
“We are disappointed but not surprised by the Court’s decision to allow Democrats a second attempt at gerrymandering the maps. Instead of focusing on policies that appeal to everyday voters, Democrats are trying to cheat their way to power,” Savannah Viar, spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement. “We will continue to hold them and their terrible policies–that have led to an open border, rising crime and rampant inflation– accountable.”
Republican members of Congress who are likely to be more vulnerable under the new map also slammed the ruling.
“Dragging redistricting on for years will create more confusion and frustration for voters,” Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) said.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. attacked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), calling him a “corrupt partisan hack.”
