STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Members of Staten Island’s Democratic Party gathered outside the Richmond County Supreme Court building in St. George Thursday afternoon to defend a ruling that declared the borough’s congressional district unconstitutional.
Assemblyman Charles Fall, who serves as both deputy majority leader of the New York State Assembly and chair of Staten Island’s Democratic Party, said the decision was grounded in law, not politics.
“This decision was based off of the facts,” Fall said. “The court determined that the 11th Congressional District is unconstitutional. And when a district is deemed unconstitutional, that means there needs to be action in place so voters can make the right decisions in the future under the right boundaries.”
The remarks came a day after a New York Supreme Court judge ruled that the boundaries of New York’s 11th Congressional District violated the state Constitution, leading Democrats to defend the decision and Republicans to denounce it as partisan with a pledge to appeal.
Justice Jeffrey Pearlman ruled Wednesday that the district violated Article III of the state Constitution. He ordered the New York Independent Redistricting Commission to finalize new boundary lines by Feb. 6.
The argument for redistricting was that the current map, approved in 2024 by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York Legislature, violates the rights of Black and Latino voters and does not accurately reflect population changes.
From the left, Tim Qorraj, Troy McGhie and Alexis M. Rodriguez, Democrats who will be challenging seats currently held by Staten Island Republicans in November, appeared outside the Richmond County Supreme Court building in St. George on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026 to defend a ruling that declared the borough’s congressional district unconstitutional.(Advance/SILive.com | Scott R. Axelrod)
The district, which encompasses Staten Island and parts of South Brooklyn, is currently represented by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican.
Fall said the ruling upheld constitutional principles rather than partisan interests.
“This ruling is not about favoring one party or presenting a disadvantage to another,” he said. “It’s about something far more fundamental: the responsibility of every branch of government to follow the Constitution.”
The Elias Law Group, based in Washington, D.C., which brought the case, sought a reconfiguration of the district from its current composition of Staten Island and South Brooklyn into lower Manhattan. Staten Island does not have enough population to support a congressional district on its own.
Republicans strongly objected to the ruling. Malliotakis said her office is “reviewing the judge’s decision and our options to protect the voices of the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn.”
“Nothing changes the fact that this is a frivolous attempt by Washington Democrats to steal this congressional seat from the people, and we are very confident that we will prevail at the end of the day,” she added.
Assemblyman Charles D. Fall was joined by members of Staten Island’s Democratic Party outside the Richmond County Supreme Court building in St. George on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026 to defend a ruling that declared the borough’s congressional district unconstitutional.(Advance/SILive.com | Scott R. Axelrod)
Troy McGhie, a career educator and high school basketball coach from New Brighton and a Democrat looking to unseat Malliotakis in November, said the ruling could result in broader representation in the district.
“This ruling is important because it creates a more level playing field and opens the door to representation that includes the North Shore, Mid-Island and other areas, depending on how the maps are drawn,” he said.
Assemblyman Michael Tannousis, Staten Island’s Republican Party chair who represents the East Shore and part of South Brooklyn, called the ruling “a complete sham” and questioned the judge’s impartiality, pointing to Pearlman’s previous work as special counsel to Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“They are trying to fracture our community because they don’t like how we vote,” Tannousis said. “It’s rigged. It’s transparently partisan, and it’s wrong.”
A shift into lower Manhattan would likely give Democrats an electoral advantage over Malliotakis in the midterm elections. However, such a reconfiguration would not be unprecedented.
Assembly District 64, represented by Fall, stretches from Staten Island’s North Shore through parts of Brooklyn into lower Manhattan. Staten Island’s congressional district also included parts of lower Manhattan following the 1970 Census.
Fall said he expects Republicans to appeal the decision but expressed confidence that it will be upheld.
“I believe higher courts will agree with the Supreme Court’s decision here,” he said.