New York Officially Adopts New Congressional Lines That Could Axe Half The GOP Delegation

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul late Thursday signed a new congressional map into law that could eliminate half of the state’s Republicans in the House.

The signing, reported by the Associated Press, comes just days after the state legislature advanced the map on near party lines. The map gives Democrats an advantage in 22 of the state’s 26 seats.

New York’s current congressional delegation includes 19 Democrats and eight Republicans. The state is slated to lose a seat for the upcoming decade due to its relatively slow population gain.

Republicans floated challenging the map in court, the AP noted, but Democrats said that new lines reflected the changing demographics of the state. Its signing into law comes amid fierce campaigns on both sides of the aisle for control of the House of Representatives this November.

New York’s map is not the only one that has met allegations of partisan bias. Republicans have also objected to passed maps in New Mexico, Maryland and Illinois, while Democrats have worked to throw out maps they allege are unfair in Ohio, North Carolina, Texas and Georgia.