Voter heads-up: Redistricting made small changes in LI congressional districts

The Nov. 5 general election will be the first after the latest round of redrawing congressional district boundaries. While most of Long Island was unchanged, there are small adjustment here and there.

Some residents in a handful of communities, especially parts of Huntington, Brookhaven and Massapequa, might want to double check when they receive their mail-in ballot or head to the polls.

Enacted by the State Legislature last year, the new boundaries made subtle shifts in three of the Island’s congressional districts. It left the 4th Congressional District — where Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-Island Park) is facing Democrat Laura Gillen — untouched in southern and western Nassau County.

"On the face of it, the changes [on Long Island] don’t seem like much," said Steven Romalewski, of the City University of New York’s Center for Urban Research, which has put together highly detailed maps of all of New York’s districts on its "Redistricting and You" website.

"But, of course, for people living in certain areas, redistricting does make a difference," he said. "For people in Huntington Station or Massapequa Park or parts of Brookhaven, it means a lot to them."

It can be tricky. Some might look up the congressional map on the official House website to find boundaries in effect for the congressional session that ends Dec. 31 and see that, for instance, Lloyd Harbor is in the 1st District. But the election covers candidates who will take office Jan. 1 under the new maps — which can be found here on New York's official site: https://latfor.state.ny.us/maps/?sec=2024_congress. That shows Lloyd Harbor voters now in the 3rd District.

Among the noteworthy changes on the Island:

• The 3rd Congressional District: Moved east into Suffolk County to pick up Lloyd Harbor, Huntington village, Huntington Station and the area around Cold Spring Country Club. It shed parts of Massapequa Park and Plainedge, according to CUNY. The race for the district pits Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) against Republican Michael LiPetri. The new boundaries make the district slightly more Democratic.
• The 2nd Congressional District: Picked up parts of Massapequa Park and Plainedge, but shed a chunk of Brookhaven, running from just north of the Long Island Expressway southward to the Atlantic Ocean and including Moriches. The election pits Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) against Democrat Rob Lubin. The new boundaries make the district slightly more Republican.
• The 1st Congressional District: Expanded along the South Shore to pick up parts of Brookhaven, including Moriches. It shed parts of Huntington, including Huntington village, Huntington Station, the area around Cold Spring Country Club and Lloyd Harbor. The 1st District election pits Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) against Democrat John Avlon. The new boundaries make the district slightly more Republican as measured by the 2020 presidential election.

By Yancey Roy

yancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroy