Associated Press: Proposed NY political maps could hurt GOP in House battle

Associated Press: Proposed NY political maps could hurt GOP in House battle

Meanwhile, Common Cause New York Executive Director Susan Lerner called for public hearings on maps she called a “major disservice to the voters.” “The Legislature’s proposed congressional maps preserve the Voting Rights Act districts, but the rest of the lines are so heavily gerrymandered they will be non-competitive,” she said.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Proposed political maps released by the leaders of New York’s Democrat-dominated legislature would give the party an advantage in 22 of of the state’s 26 congressional districts and mean reelection trouble for several Republican members of the U.S. House.

The new maps, released late Sunday, could potentially lead to Democrats picking up three House seats and Republicans losing four in the 2022 election.

Lawmakers expect to vote Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, on new congressional and legislative maps as part of the nation’s once-per-decade redistricting process. The Legislature faces pressure with candidates preparing for petition-gathering season launching March 1.

New York faces the loss of one House seat in 2023, due to slow population growth. Republicans had braced for Democrats — who represent about half of registered voters to Republicans 22% — to use their dominating legislative supermajorities to redraw district boundaries to carve up GOP strongholds.

The new maps would do that, forcing several incumbent Republicans to run in districts redrawn to make them far more Democrat-friendly. …

Meanwhile, Common Cause New York Executive Director Susan Lerner called for public hearings on maps she called a “major disservice to the voters.”

“The Legislature’s proposed congressional maps preserve the Voting Rights Act districts, but the rest of the lines are so heavily gerrymandered they will be non-competitive,” she said.