\u201cThe application to the U.S. Supreme Court was necessary to protect voters across Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn from the fundamentally flawed and clearly unconstitutional decision issued by [Gov.] Kathy Hochul\u2019s hand-picked judge, and former top aide, in this case,\u201d Malliotakis, a Republican, said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe U.S. Supreme Court has been clear, racially-motivated redistricting violates the U.S. Constitution. The Washington Democrats who brought this sham lawsuit have tried to manipulate our electoral and judicial processes by jamming through an unconstitutional order right before petitions are collected to prevent this case from being fully appealed. Our application to the U.S. Supreme Court will ensure that voters\u2019 constitutional rights are protected.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his decision, Pearlman, a former chief of staff for Hochul during her service as lieutenant governor, sided with the Washington, D.C.-based Elias Law Group\u2019s argument that the current configuration of New York\u2019s 11th congressional district illegally violates the rights of Black and Latino Staten Islanders. <\/p>\n
Elias filed the lawsuit on behalf of two Staten Islanders and two Manhattanites arguing that a redrawing of the district into more liberal ground would give Black and Latino voters a necessary leg up to select the congressional candidates of their choice.<\/p>\n
Pearlman\u2019s order didn\u2019t specify how the district should be redrawn, but in its case, Elias presented an illustrative map that moved the shared portion of district into lower Manhattan neighborhoods like Battery Park City, the Financial District and the West Village.<\/p>\n
![\"Illustrative](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GXRA4DEOXZFNTHYXHGDNYWHCLI.jpeg\")
An illustrative map shows what Staten Island’s congressional map could look like (in purple) if a Democrat-backed court case in Manhattan prevails.(New York Supreme Court)<\/p>\n
Staten Island doesn\u2019t have a large enough population for a congressional district entirely of its own, and the shift into Lower Manhattan would give Democrats an advantage over Malliotakis heading into the November elections.<\/p>\n