New York Democrats Go Mild, Not Wild with New Map

Cook Political Report: “Forget the notion that New York Democrats would pull off a brazen power play to retaliate against the GOP’s no-holds-barred gerrymander of North Carolina. On Wednesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a new congressional map that makes only modest alterations to the bipartisan compromise hatched by the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission — a far cry from the ambitious 22D-4R Democratic gerrymander New York’s top court struck down in 2022.”

“After Democrats spent millions suing to kickstart the redistricting process over again for 2024, many on the left are wondering, “All this trouble for that?” After all, party strategists are counting on a windfall of pickups in the Empire State to help Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries become speaker, but the new map makes just one GOP-held seat marginally bluer compared to the current court-drawn plan: the Syracuse seat held by Rep. Brandon Williams.”

“Democrats still have a good chance at unseating up to four New York Republicans this fall, but that was true before this redraw. So why did Democrats in Albany hold back?”