New York’s legislature approved new congressional district maps Wednesday that will expand Democrats’ power for years to come in a state where the party already holds a dominating advantage.
The Senate voted 43-20 on party lines Wednesday to pass the congressional maps. The bill largely passed on party lines in the Assembly with a 103-45 vote.
The redrawn maps would ensure that Democrats make up a strong majority of registered voters in 22 of the 26 congressional districts the state will have in 2023.
Republicans, who now hold eight of New York’s 27 seats in Congress, say they’re considering fighting the maps in court, calling them an illegal attempt at a type of gerrymandering barred under the state’s constitution.
The Legislature faces pressure to quickly pass maps, with the state’s election primaries just months away in June.
If they survive any court challenges, the maps will mean reelection trouble for several Republican House members.
In New York City, U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Staten Island Republican, would face running in a district stretched to include some of Brooklyn’s most liberal neighborhoods.