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\n Representative Nicole Malliotakis speaking at a news conference on Capitol Hill on February 25, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
\n Photo: Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images\n <\/p>\n
Another year, another New York City congressional map?<\/p>\n
A judge ruled Thursday that the boundaries of the city\u2019s lone Republican-represented congressional district are unconstitutional, setting the stage for yet another potential redistricting stand-off in state courts that could endanger the party\u2019s hold on the seat and Representative Nicole Malliotakis<\/a>\u2019s reelection.<\/p>\n In his decision<\/a>, State Supreme Court justice Jeffrey Pearlman ruled in favor of a legal challenge<\/a> to the 11th Congressional District, concluding that the district as drawn dilutes the voting power of Black and Latino residents in Staten Island by not accounting for population growth in both communities.<\/p>\n Pearlman ordered the state\u2019s independent redistricting commission to reconvene in order to draw new lines for the district by February 6. The ruling is expected to be appealed. While it is currently unclear how the panel would tackle any potential redrawing of the district, any change to the congressional lines likely poses a threat to the Republican Party\u2019s slim representation in the city.<\/p>\n The 11th Congressional District, which contains the entirety of the consistently conservative Staten Island and southern Brooklyn, is currently represented by Malliotakis, the city\u2019s lone Republican representative in Congress. Proposed variations<\/a> of the district show the area picking up portions of lower Manhattan from the neighboring Tenth District, a move that would make the district far more friendly to Democrats and make Malliotakis\u2019s chances for reelection in the fall much more difficult.<\/p>\n In a statement, Malliotakis called the lawsuit that prompted the ruling \u201cmeritless\u201d and signaled that a court challenge to Pearlman\u2019s decision was on the table. \u201cWe will use every legal option at our disposal, including an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, to protect the voices of the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn, and we are very confident that we will prevail at the end of the day,\u201d she wrote on social media<\/a>.<\/p>\n Reaction to the judge\u2019s ruling largely fell on partisan lines. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries<\/a>, who looks to grow his party\u2019s representation in the House of Representatives, appeared satisfied with the decision. \u201cThis ruling is the first step toward ensuring communities of interest remain intact from Staten Island to lower Manhattan. The voters of New York deserve the fairest congressional map possible,\u201d he said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ed Cox, the chairman of the state\u2019s Republican Party, denounced the judge\u2019s ruling as a \u201ccynical attempt to enact an illegal partisan gerrymander under the guise of a voting rights case.\u201d \u201cThe Staten Island\/Brooklyn congressional district has existed for almost 45 years. Kathy Hochul and Democrats insult the intelligence of NY-11 voters when they engage in such partisan gerrymandering,\u201d he said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n The ramifications of redrawing the district would likely extend beyond Malliotakis\u2019s prospects. Speculation is growing that Representative Dan Goldman<\/a> might pursue a challenge to Malliotakis in her likely more competitive district rather than seek reelection in the neighboring Tenth District, where he is currently facing a prominent primary challenger in former comptroller Brad Lander<\/a>. Goldman already represents lower Manhattan, which could potentially be part of the redrawn district lines.<\/p>\n Goldman did not close the door to that possibility in a statement<\/a> following the ruling. \u201cI\u2019m proud to represent my constituents in my current district and focused on running for reelection to continue to build on the work we are doing together,\u201d he said. \u201cOur top priority must be to retake the majority and make Hakeem Jeffries Speaker, and I will always place that goal first.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the past several years, New York has been the center of several high-profile redistricting fights. In 2022, an independent special master was appointed by the courts to draw new congressional boundaries after a protracted legal battle and after the independent redistricting commission failed to agree on a pair of new maps and the Democratic legislature\u2019s proposed boundaries were deemed an unconstitutional gerrymander. The state later signed off on a new congressional map in 2024<\/a> after the courts ruled<\/a> that the special master\u2019s map was temporary, tasking the commission with completing its duty to draw new lines.<\/p>\n Sign Up for the Intelligencer\u00a0Newsletter<\/p>\n Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world.<\/p>\n Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice<\/p>\n