New lines, old debate

With help from Shawn Ness

For the seventh time in the past few years, New York mapmakers have released an official set of maps for the state’s 26 congressional districts.

And this one, which appears likely to receive a vote on Wednesday, just might wind up being the one that actually sticks: A GOP-backed lawsuit to challenge the new lines is not expected, two people familiar with the discussions said today.

The new map was released overnight by the Legislature’s Democratic majorities. It’s not dramatically different from the one released by the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission earlier this month, providing a significant boost to Democrats only in the Syracuse-area seat held by Republican Rep. Brandon Williams.

“It does leave a little bit of confusion as to why we voted down the first set of maps,” Assemblymember Anthony Durso, the top Republican on the Governmental Operations Committee, said in reference to the commission lines that were rejected Monday. “From what we’re seeing, they don’t look very different.”

Durso said he hasn’t yet had a chance to review every detail of the new plan and that Republicans don’t yet have a formal position on it. The Senate’s Republican conference has similarly not yet discussed the lines in conference.

But Republicans running in key congressional districts are largely happy with the final shape of the districts under the Legislature’s plan.

It helps, too, that Gov. Kathy Hochul is eager to move forward as well.

“She doesn’t want litigation,” a Republican familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of negotiations said. “She does not want to tie up budget time.”

Hochul will be a key player in the final days of the process. Democrats are