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Redistricting

1 By Colin Campbell 2/15 9:00am

redistricting

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.

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1 By Colin Campbell 2/10 1:21pm

redistricting

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 9:49am

redistricting

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.)

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3 By Colin Campbell 1/30 12:37pm

redistricting

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."

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By David Freedlander 1/27 4:11pm

redistricting

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

By Colin Campbell 1/25 12:31pm

redistricting

A hypothetical map Politicker drew earlier this year. The blue district would be majority-Asian.

Insiders Expect Two New Asian-Majority Assembly Districts

According to people familiar with the situation, the State Assembly’s redistricting maps will contain two new Asian-majority districts in Queens and Brooklyn. These two districts will house incumbent Assembly Members Peter Abbate and Rory Lancman.

Despite the demographic shift in their districts, both Assemblyman Lancman and Abbate should be strong favorites for reelection in their Democratic primaries this year, partially because of the strength of the incumbent candidates and partially because any challenger would face difficulties forming a majority coalition. Read More

2 By David Freedlander 10/07/11 11:06am

redistricting

Rangel: ‘Just Don’t Send Me to Brooklyn!’

Harlem Congressman Charlie Rangel sounded unconcerned about the latest round of Congressional reapportionment--so long as Harlem-centric district is cast across the river.

Asked if he was hiring any lobbyists to persuade Albany lawmakers to protect his district--as some of his Congressional colleagues have done--and Rangel said no, but added with a laugh, "I would anybody to fight off Brooklyn." Read More

By Azi Paybarah 7/06/11 4:30pm

redistricting

On Tax Cap Tour, Cuomo Frames Redistricting Debate

While touring the state with a series of ceremonial bill signings for his tax cap legislation, Governor Cuomo is also taking the opportunity to frame the debate surrounding his next, and arguably most challenging fight yet. Redistricting. After a group of lawmakers met this morning to start the process of redrawing the lines, Cuomo, near Read More