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By Colin Campbell 3/12/12 11:39pm

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court new plan

Court Releases New Congressional Map

After much anticipation, the federal courts have released new congressional maps for the State of New York tonight. Assuming the Legislature can’t come to a last minute agreement, the boundaries below will likely represent the redistricting landscape on the federal level for the next ten years.

Last week, the court presented a draft map which contained a number of substantial changes to the electoral landscape. Notably, Congressmen Bob Turner, Maurice Hinchey, and Gary Ackerman saw their districts dismantled. Two of these districts inevitably had to be cut, as New York is required to lose two Congressional Districts this cycle. The plan additionally created a new Asian-plurality district in Queens that Mr. Ackerman has vowed to campaign for.

(Mr. Turner may be currently exploring a possible run for the U.S. Senate and Mr. Hinchey is retiring.) Read More

By Colin Campbell 3/12/12 5:00pm

battle lines

ny redistricting

Senate Democrats Release Senate Republicans’ Map

In typical fashion, the State Legislature released their new redistricting maps for the State Senate and State Assembly in the dark of the night on Sunday in an unreadable 20,000 word textual format instead of actually providing visual map.

The Senate Democrats, however, apparently compiled the data and provided the new State Senate maps to reporters.

“Since the Senate Republicans are content on keeping the public in the dark and concealing the maps that they produced, we will do it for them,” Senate Democratic spokesman Mike Murphy wrote. “Attached you will find the maps which show very clearly that there is virtually no change from their previous proposal.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 3/12/12 7:50am

battle lines

redistricting

The Constitutional Redistricting Amendment

Albany released the text of the new State Legislative lines last night, but not the maps, resulting in limited clarity for what the new maps will look like. At first glance at the 20,000 word document, it seems a partisan gerrymander remains in place.

However, Albany also released a legible redistricting document last night, the constitutional amendment to permanently reform the process in the future in 2022. The proposed amendment appears designed to lock in this year’s set of maps rather than create any sort of truly independent commission. “The commission shall consider the maintenance of cores of existing districts, of pre-existing political subdivisions, including counties, cities, and towns, and communities of interest,” the bill reads. Read More

By Colin Campbell 3/08/12 3:58pm

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Charle Barron

Barron: ‘Racist’ Court Map Is ‘Trying to Draw Us Back on The Plantation’ [Video]

Earlier this afternoon, Brooklyn elected officials and activists gathered to protest the court’s draft redistricting map for Congressional lines, and Councilman Charles Barron, as usual, was the most outspoken member of the crowd.

Mr. Barron, who’s running for Congress himself, made it clear his first issue was the term “Special Master” used to describe the court’s redistricting expert assisting int he drafting.

“I think the first thing we got to do is stop calling the judge ‘Master,’” he declared. “Trying to draw us back on the plantation. So I’m going to say ‘judge,’ because we have no master.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 3/06/12 4:47pm

battle lines

ny redistricting

Redistricting: What Happens Next?

Earlier today, the courts dropped a small bombshell on New York’s Congressional delegation, releasing a “draft” map for the new set of districts. But what does that mean, and what happens next?

U.S. Magistrate Roanne Mann has given a deadline at 9 a.m. tomorrow for any parties to submit comments. She then has until Monday to submit her plan to a three-judge panel. That panel will then hold a hearing for the parties on March 15th and subsequently order a plan into effect.

David Nir, an attorney who now heads the left-leaning Daily Kos Elections blog that closely monitors redistricting developments across the country, said he expected the three-judge panel would adopt the proposed map wholesale.

“In all likelihood, I’d expect the three-judge panel to adopt the magistrate’s final map with few if any changes,” he told The Politicker. “Given the amount of work the magistrate has put into drafting these maps, and her close familiarity with the new lines, I’d be surprised if the three-judge panel chose to second-guess her.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 3/06/12 11:45am

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Rep. Nan Hayworth (Photo: Getty)

Hayworth Challengers React To Special Master’s Redistricting Proposal

Democrat Dr. Richard Becker isn’t going to let a little thing like Congressional lines stop his plans to challenge Republican Congresswoman Nan Hayworth. If the draft maps released this morning by the special master are put into place, Dr. Becker will no longer live in Ms. Hayworth’s district, but he’s ready to move if he must.

“For the last three decades, I’ve been practicing medicine and building small businesses throughout the Hudson Valley. With the release of today’s draft Congressional maps from the special master, it appears I’ll be moving a couple minutes down the road,” Dr. Becker said in a statement. “I’ve been a part of our community for over thirty years and I fully intend to represent us in Congress. I am in this campaign to win it, and am certain that we will replace ‘No Comment Nan’ with a real leader who’ll represent us instead of the party bosses and financial elites.”

Wappingers Falls Mayor Matt Alexander also plans to challenge Ms. Hayworth. His campaign manager, TJ Helmstetter, released a statement describing Mr. Alexander as the “only Democratic candidate in the race who lives in the district and has reported fundraising to date.” It doesn’t look like Mr. Alexander will have the district all to himself in the end, but Mr. Helmstetter still thinks the proposed maps give his man the edge.  Read More

By Colin Campbell 3/06/12 9:50am

battle lines

New York's new 6th Congressional District, should the court's draft hold.

Lancman Indicates Interest in New Queens Seat

One of the interesting twists of the court’s draft proposal for New York’s Congressional lines is the new Asian-plurality district created in Queens, and Democratic Assemblyman Rory Lancman, who had been campaigning against GOP Congressman Bob Turner, just announced he would be likely to shift his focus there should the final boundaries look like the draft map.

“The Special Master’s lines came out today, and while I can’t predict what the final lines will ultimately look like, the Special Master’s district six is centered around my home and communities that I have represented in the Assembly, on the community board and as a civic leader for over twenty years,” he said in a statement this morning.

“I look forward to the opportunity to run for Congress when the lines are finalized,” he added. Read More

By Colin Campbell 2/22/12 9:17am

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(Photo: Getty)

Cuomo on Independent Redistricting: ‘I Just Lost’

Last night, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle posted 14 minutes of audio from Governor Andrew Cuomo’s interview with their editorial board, the same discussion where he outlined a clear alternative to vetoing the legislature’s redistricting proposal. Asked why he didn’t more publicly push Albany into adopting the independent redistricting reform he said he favors, Mr. Cuomo responded bluntly.

“I’ve done it, they said no. I just lost, is what happened,” he said.  ”It’s not that they didn’t hear me, and not that I didn’t advocate, they just rejected my suggestion.”

When pressed as to what Mr. Cuomo may have done to twist the legislator’s arms, the famously assertive governor asserted he’s “not an arm-twister.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 2/08/12 10:55am

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new-22

Gounardes and Golden Tussle Over Redistricting

The Democratic challenger for Brooklyn State Senator Marty Golden, Andrew Gounardes, wrote him a letter yesterday on redistricting, taking particular issue with a recent New York Post story suggesting Republicans in the State Senate were attempting to hold Governor Andrew Cuomo’s agenda hostage over the redistricting issue.

“[I]t is so unfortunate that you and your Republican colleagues in the Senate have chosen to break the New York Uprising pledge that you signed just 18 months ago,” Mr. Gounardes wrote, attaching a copy of the pledge with the letter. “In that pledge, you swore to support an independent and non-partisan redistricting plan based on the 2010 Census. I was raised to believe that a person’s word is as good as their bond. With broken promises like this, why should voters take you at your word in the future?”

“I call on you to disavow the legislative threats of your colleagues and to recommit yourself to the pledge that you so recently signed,” he concluded.

Reached for a response, Mr. Golden’s campaign defended the redistricting process and expressed support for its outcome. Read More