Redistricting decision sends parties scrambling, GOP cheering
ALBANY — A ruling by New York’s top court ordering the redrawing of the state’s congressional and state Senate districts sent politicians and officials scrambling Thursday.
Republicans were touting their chances of faring better than expected in New York’s congressional races. State Senate Democrats were hoping their new district configurations would largely stay in place, despite the ruling.
Untold numbers of candidates were wondering if they’d still have a district to run in. And county and state election boards were prepping to spend tens of millions of dollars more to hold two primaries this year, one in June and one in August.
“I understand that this is going to be a bit chaotic going forward,” Republican state chairman Nick Langworthy said Thursday. Until new maps are approved by a judge in late May, he said candidates will face a “period of uncertainty.”
What to know
- The redistricting “special master” appointed by New York's Court of Appeals will produce a new set of maps by May 16. They should be finalized by May 20.
- State Senate Democrats hope the new congressional and state Senate district configurations will largely stay in place; Republicans are touting their chances of faring better than expected in the redrawing.
- County and state election boards are prepping to spend tens of millions of dollars more to hold two primaries this year.
“Some people might find themselves without a seat to run for,” Langworthy said. “Perhaps some people that made announcements will reconsider those announcements and get back in races that they have opted out of.”
The GOP chairman cheered the Court of Appeals' decision to declare illegal a set of redistricting maps drawn by the Democrat-dominated State Legislature. Besides tossing out gerrymandered districts, Langworthy acknowledged the decision improves Republicans’ chances in the state’s congressional races.
The Democrat-drawn map made for just four Republican-leaning districts out of 26 in the state. The new maps — which will be drawn by a neutral “special master” and approved by a state judge — have to improve the GOP’s odds, Nassau County Republican chairman Joseph Cairo concurred.
“Anyone who looks at it in a reasonable fashion and tries to be fair, it would come out as more favorable to us,” Cairo said.
On Long Island, Cairo pointed to the 1st Congressional District in Suffolk County, currently held by Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), who is running for governor. The Democratic-drawn maps would have changed it from a slightly Republican to a slightly Democratic district, but that might change again when the new districts are drawn.
Another district ripe for rewrite might be the 3rd Congressional District. The Democrats had expanded it west from Nassau and Queens counties, all the way into Westchester to help their chances of holding the seat, which is currently held by Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), who also is running for governor.
Democratic state chairman Jay Jacobs. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Democratic state chairman Jay Jacobs said he isn’t ready to concede a statewide rewrite will hurt Democratic chances.
“I’m not going to answer that till we see the new maps,” Jacobs said. “The Court of Appeals reshuffled the deck, but we haven’t had a chance to look at our cards yet, and we don’t know whether our cards will be better or worse.”
As it stands, the state seems set to have two primaries this summer: June, for the state Assembly and statewide offices including governor; and August, for State Senate and Congress.
That’s because the Republican litigants who launched the redistricting lawsuit challenged just the Senate and congressional maps.
The bifurcated money will cost taxpayers more — to cover additional poll workers, extra days of early voting, more printed ballots and other costs.
A consolidated state primary costs $25 million to $30 million to conduct, according to the state Board of Elections. It could not give an immediate estimate on how much the two primary days will cost.
On Long Island, Nassau County projects the extra cost for a second primary at $2.3 million to $2.5 million, Democratic election board Commissioner James Scheuerman told Newsday.
In Suffolk, the additional cost of a countywide primary is about $2.104 million, according to Democratic Commissioner Anita Katz.
Under the new schedule, the redistricting “special master” appointed by the court will produce a new set of maps by May 16. Steuben County Judge Patrick McAllister, who presided over the initial trial, will finalize lines by May 20.
With Scott Eidler
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