'Political Bias': NY State's Democrat-Drawn Redistricting Maps Tossed by Judge as 'Gerrymandering’

The decision in New York followed a redistricting defeat in the Maryland courts for Democrats, when a judge ordered a new congressional map to be drawn after ruling the new one would unfairly hurt Republicans' chances in the state.

Maps for congressional, state Senate and Assembly seats in New York State, newly-drawn by Democrats, were struck down by a judge on Thursday as an example of “gerrymandering.”

Judge Patrick F. McAllister wrote in his ruling that the “process used” by state Democrats “to enact the 2022 redistricting maps was unconstitutional,” creating no competitive seats.

The new congressional map would have given the Democratic Party a hefty political advantage over the Republicans in 22 of 26 New York seats in a tactic that the Dems have previously denounced the GOP for ostensibly employing.

A ‘Scourge’ on Democracy

State Democrats had violated a new constitutional prohibition, dating to 2014, designed to reduce the ability of political parties to “manipulate the map-making process for partisan gain,” wrote McAllister in the ruling. The amendment voted in by New York voters had given primary control of redistricting to a bipartisan commission, however, in this instance, the Democratic-controlled legislature took over the process after that commission failed to agree on a map.

“The court finds by clear evidence and beyond a reasonable doubt that the congressional map was unconstitutionally drawn with political bias,” McAllister wrote in the opinion.

The acting state Supreme Court justice in Steuben County, central New York, gave lawmakers until 11 April to submit new maps "that receive sufficient bipartisan support."

New York is holding primary elections on 28 June.

If the Democrats fail to come up with new “bipartisanly supported maps” for Congress, the State Senate and Assembly, Justice McAllister said he would appoint an independent special master to draw them.

As fallout, the primaries could be delayed to as late as 23 August.

In response, Mike Murphy, the communications director for state Senate Democrats, tweeted on Thursday that the court decision would be appealed.

"This is one step in the process. We always knew this case would be decided by the appellate courts. We are appealing this decision and expect this decision will be stayed as the appeal process proceeds," he tweeted.

New York is ostensibly being viewed by Democratic Party as its best chance to flip a handful of congressional seats in the blue state to ward off a potentially looming Republican takeover of the House of Representatives in the November midterms.

Former Rep. John Faso, a Republican, celebrated the ruling in New York State, saying:

“New York has an explicit constitutional prohibition on partisan gerrymandering. The Democrats violated that prohibition. They did it knowingly, they did it willingly, they did it joyfully. And the court today struck them down."

The latest setback for the democrats came as last week, a judge in Maryland similarly ruled “extreme gerrymander” after new district lines would have given Democrats an advantage in at least seven of eight districts.

Previously, state courts in Ohio and North Carolina previously blocked newly-drawn maps that were seen as advantaging Republicans.