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By David Freedlander 3/01/12 3:23pm

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Becker Says He Is Going House-Hunting In Hayworth’s District

Earlier today Matt Alexander, the mayor of Wappingers Falls and a Democrat running in a primary to face incumbent Republican Nan Hayworth for a Hudson Valley Congressional seat, sent out an email crowing that he is the lone Democrat standing under the new district lines put out last night by the Assembly and the Senate.

“We’ve known from Day One that Matt Alexander is the only Democrat in this race with the necessary experience and abilities to beat Nan Hayworth. The news today is that he is the only remaining Democratic candidate who lives in the renumbered district, has raised money, and generated endorsements,” said campaign spokesman T.J. Helmstetter. ”It’s time to stop saying ‘when the lines are drawn’ and for Democrats and progressives everywhere to hit the ground running in this campaign.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 2/29/12 11:58pm

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Redistricting

Albany Releases Competing Congressional Redistricting Proposals

Pushing the judge’s deadline to the very edge, the Republican-controlled State Senate and Democrat-dominated State Assembly just released their Congressional proposals tonight, which you can view below.

Because these maps are independent of one another, they aren’t as significant as they appear and might not be indicative of where the lines would lie for a compromise map between the two partisan bodies. Additionally, overly partisan gerrymanders are of limited use to the courts as they consider the many proposed options. Read More

By Hunter Walker and David Freedlander 2/29/12 6:33am

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Charles Rangel (Photo: Getty)

Charlie’s Angles: Will Rangel See The End of The Harlem He Helped Build?

It is hard not to pity poor Charlie Rangel.

Not because his golden years have been besieged by trouble, some of it his own making, some of it the usual thrust of a hyper-partisan political culture. Not because he is now—and has been for the past several years—hounded by plausible challengers at an age when most politicians are busy buffing the stones on the sides of buildings that bear their names; not because he continues to contend with suspicions that he is on the cusp of retirement.

No, instead, Mr. Rangel deserves some sympathy because after four decades in the House of Representatives, building a political machine that has seen scores of friends and protégés win high office, serving a district that has been represented by only two people since World War II, he is now presiding over that district’s dissolution. Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/27/12 9:55am

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Senator Ruben Diaz (Photo: RubenDiaz.com)

Ruben Diaz Sr. Blasts Congressional Redistricting Efforts: ‘The Bronx Is Not a Colony’

Always outspoken State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. is not pleased with redistricting proposals that would use space in the Bronx to create a predominantly Latino Congressional district or extend Charlie Rangel’s district into Westchester. Mr. Diaz sent one of his periodic “What You Should Know” missives to supporters yesterday slamming the proposals.

“The Bronx is not a colony,” Mr. Diaz wrote. “You should know that I am just calling it the way I see it: the way the district lines have been drawn for New York’s Congressional seats indicates to me that there are some people who still believe in colonies.” Read More

By David Freedlander 5:22pm

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BillDeBlasio-GettyImages-300x199

De Blasio Calls for New Latino District

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio released a statement this afternoon calling on the State Legislature to create a third Latino district.

“Our State Legislature has the historic opportunity to create a third Congressional District to affirm the right of the growing Latino community to elect the candidates of its choice, without significant changes to current ‘majority-minority’ Congressional districts,” Mr. de Blasio said in a statement. “With attacks on Latino electoral participation growing across the nation, creating a third Latino congressional district here would reaffirm our city’s commitment to the American principles of openness, diversity and civic participation.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 2/15/12 9:00am

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Senator John Sampson's district has a strange tentacle coming out of its Southeast that absorbs a candidate's house.

Skelos: ‘Non-Partisan’ Maps Also Draw Incumbents Into The Same Districts

One of the more conspicuous map drawing tools available to majority parties during the once-a-decade redistricting process is placing legislators belonging to the minority party into the same districts. On Inside City Hall last night, Errol Louis asked Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos why so many Democrats suffered this fate. Mr. Skelos interestingly argued that a good government group’s redistricting proposal also drew incumbents together.

“Well, you want to remember, I believe Citizens Union did their plan. They did a so-called ‘non-partisan’ plan,” Mr. Skelos answered. “They had over 20 members of the assembly combined in districts and I think close to 10 in the senate.”

Mr. Skelos may have been referring to the map proposal put forward by a different good government organization, Common Cause New York. But the argument is a little strange, as Common Cause’s maps intentionally ignored incumbents and affected members of both the majority and minority parties, in sharp contrast with Albany’s proposal. Read More

By Colin Campbell 2/10/12 1:21pm

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Adriano-Espaillat-Headshot

Pols: Dean Skelos Supports New Latino Congressional District

Maria Luna, a district leader in Washington Heights, announced at a press conference in the neighborhood this afternoon that Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos told Latino business leaders the night before that he was “optimistic” there would be a new Latino majority Congressional Seat in Northern Manhattan and the Bronx.

“Although he is a Republican, and I’m a Democrat, I thank you,” she said to crowd.

Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez confirmed Ms. Luna’s account in his own address to the crowd, telling them that Mr. Skelos was hopeful the new district would be created. Read More

By Colin Campbell 2/03/12 9:49am

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Mr. Adams' new district is oddly shaped, to say the least.

Adams: GOP Screwed With My District Because of My Progressive Agenda

Although Governor Andrew Cuomo has vowed to veto the current set of redistricting maps, Democratic State Senator Eric Adams let it be known this morning that he isn’t happy with his new district. A number of Democratic incumbents were drawn into the same districts, including Mr. Adams and neighboring State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, something Mr. Adams felt was ideologically motivated.

“This year I am the poster child for removal. Many of the Upstate and Long Island Republican senators are angry with me because of my progressive agenda for New York City residents,” Mr. Adams said in a statement. “In Albany, I am known as one of the lead voices that support social issues such as, but not limited to, tenant housing protections, fair funding in our schools, and ending the draconian practice of NYPD stop and frisk.”

(The proposed map, which Politicker labeled “A Stork With a Big Surprise,” is one of the most bizarre-looking ones in the state.) Read More

By Colin Campbell 1/30/12 12:37pm

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The "Super Jewish" State Senate District

Golden, Fidler & Turner Weigh In On New Jewish District

After Assemblyman Dov Hikind and a key lobbyist in the influential Jewish social services organization Agudath Isreal both praised the State Senate’s decision to create an Orthodox Jewish-majority district last week, it seems unlikely that any elected official in southern Brooklyn will blast its creation in the redistricting process.

In an interview with Shimon Gifter, Republican State Senator Marty Golden praised the new district, which will neighbor his. “I was very happy with my seat, obviously,” he said. “A new Jewish seat will  be a good seat for the future for the state, and I thought that was well-designed as well.” Read More

By David Freedlander 1/27/12 4:11pm

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Gianaris

Mike Gianaris And The Awkwardness of Senate Democrats

Queens Democratic Senator Mike Gianaris appeared on the Fred Dicker’s radio this morning and was just getting into his pitch against the GOP’s partisan redistricting plan–”They have reminded us once again why Albany has been known as the most dysfunctional capital in the nation.  We have been working very hard with Gov. Cuomo to get the reputation of the state government on the right track and it’s things like this, in one fell swoop that bring us right back to the worst of the worst”–when the host interrupted.

Why, Mr. Dicker wanted to know, if the Democrats are so taken by the issue of nonpartisan redistricting, did they not make it the law when they were in the majority in 2009-2010. Don’t deny it, the longtime Post columnist said: if you were in charge, you would be drawing them out of existence too. Read More