The House Representatives elected from the state of New York in 2024 won’t be really decided by voters; it’ll be decided in the courtroom. That’s because getting to draw the district lines could very well get their party’s candidates elected, and the court needs to decide if the 2022 map stays in place.
This decision is critical because the Empire State’s ultra-competitive map saw a GOP wave in the midterms despite the state’s well-documented majority of Democrats. Four flipped seats in New York (giving the GOP 11 of 26 total) made all the difference in giving the Republicans control of the lower chamber in Washington, and it was all thanks to an independently drawn set of districts after a map from the Democrat-controlled legislature was tossed out.
Now this week, at the New York Court of Appeals, Democrats are arguing for the chance to draw the maps in time for 2024, with Republicans opposed. If the former prevail, what they come up with could undo the gains made by the GOP in the previous cycle. The main argument on the part of the Democrats was that 2022 was a temporary fix, and that this time the Legislature should have its authority to draw the maps restored. Few judges on the court offered hints as to which way they lean.
One thing’s for sure: the outcomes in this case and others like it in North Carolina and a few southern states will be pivotal come next year.
