An upstate judge rejected New York State’s newly drawn congressional district maps, ruling them unconstitutional and ordering the Democratic-controlled Legislature to redraw the maps.
“Part of the problem is these maps were void …for failure to follow the constitutional process of having bipartisan maps presented by the [independent redistricting commission]. The second problem was the congressional map that was presented was determined to be gerrymandered,” wrote Steuben County Supreme Court Judge Patrick McAllister in his bombshell, 18-page decision released Thursday afternoon.
The judge also rejected the state Senate and Assembly maps in his ruling.
“We intend to appeal this decision,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James a joint statement shortly after.
The judge said lawmakers have until April 11 to present new maps and if the maps are still determined to be illegal, the court will appoint an expert to create the new maps paid for by state taxpayers.
“The judge found that they acted unconstitutionally in the process and that’s why they threw out the senate, assembly and US House maps,” said John Faso, a Republican former congressman from the Hudson Valley involved in the lawsuit.
“The implication is that the people won and the politicians lost.”
“The people voted in 2014 to ban partisan gerrymandering and the democratic politicians in Albany ignored the will of the people and the judge declared their gerrymander unconstitutional
It means we could wind up with fair maps but it will ultimately wind up in the court of appeals.”
New York’s primary elections are scheduled by law for June 28, and the judge warned the ruling could be delayed.
“Not only will the process be expensive, it is possible that New York would not have a congressional map in place that meets the constitutional requirements in time for the primaries even with moving the primary date back to August 23, 2022,” the judge warned in his decision.
However, state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs told The Post the primary date will not be pushed back.
GOP Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis cheered the decision.
The Democrats linked her mostly Staten Island district with the liberal precincts of northwestern Brooklyn — Park Slope and Sunset Park — bypassing southern Brooklyn neighborhoods closer to Staten Island on the other side of the Verrazanno-Narrows Bridge.
“It’s clear to all that Albany Democrats redrew our district to tilt the scale and steal our seat. It’s not just wrong, it’s also a violation of the State Constitution. We are encouraged by the action of the court and we await the new district maps,” she told The Post.