The Democrats in the New York state legislature voted down a new Congressional map drawn by a bipartisan commission, essentially giving themselves another attempt to swing the state’s representation, NBC News reports.
The story starts with the state court throwing out the first Congressional map drawn by the state legislature in 2021 because it was egregiously gerrymandered. The Court created a map that was used in 2022 and led to 11 Republican wins versus 15 for Democrats; Republicans typically won 9 or 10 seats in the state. The Court then said an independent bipartisan group should draw the map, with the state’s elected representatives voting to approve. Well, the legislature didn’t approve, so we’re back at Step One.
In a House of Representatives where Republicans hold the majority by a Gaetz and a Marge, two seats potentially flipping Democratic in the next election could mean the difference between Preacher of the House Mike Johnson and the guy who really runs the House, Hakeem Jeffries, holding the gavel.