New York Democrats are going to get a gerrymandering redo
Zachary Faria
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New York Democrats tried to gerrymander their congressional districts so dramatically before the 2022 midterm elections that the courts struck them down. Naturally, they then complained about the new map, and they will now get a second chance to gerrymander these districts for the next decade.
New York Democrats had previously tried to gerrymander the state map to limit Republicans to about four of the 26 congressional seats. Unfortunately for them, they forgot that they did such a good job pretending to hate gerrymandering that New York voters approved an amendment in 2014 to limit partisan redistricting. The courts then struck that map down and put forward a neutral plan drawn by a “special master” appointed by the court.
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New York Democrats weren’t happy with that, especially after Republicans flipped four seats, winning 11 of the 26 available seats and narrowly flipping the House of Representatives. Therefore, New York Democrats complained, and the courts agreed to punt the congressional map back to the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission. The IRC previously was unable to come up with a map, which is how state Democrats got the opportunity to try and gerrymander it in their favor.
As is the usual operating procedure, you will not hear Democrats across the country whine and complain about this. As much as Democrats claim to hate gerrymandering, they enthusiastically practice it at every opportunity they are given. The whole reason this is a story is because New York Democrats already tried to do it, failed, lost four House seats, and want a redo. After all, the problem with the map they wanted to replace was that it was too neutral. Now, the state’s “independent” commission can draw “fair maps,” according to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
And if that commission can’t agree on a map, just like the last time it tried, well then New York Democrats will just shoulder the burden of doing that job and crafting a gerrymandered map that can withstand the courts because gerrymandering is the goal.
None of this would be a problem if Democrats didn’t pretend they were holier than thou and wanted to ban gerrymandering, even while they embrace it in their own states, whether through legislature-drawn maps or maps crafted by faux “independent” commissions. If Democrats want to craft ugly, partisan congressional maps, they are free to do so, but they must spare us their tired, performative statements about the evils of gerrymandering.