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A New York state judge ruled that New York City’s only Republican-held congressional district was drawn unconstitutionally, ordering state officials to redraw the map in a decision that could reshape the state’s House delegation ahead of the midterm elections.
State Supreme Court Judge Jeffrey Pearlman concluded that the Staten Island-based 11th Congressional District, represented by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, violated state and federal protections by diluting the voting power of Black and Latino communities.
Pearlman ordered New York’s independent redistricting commission to submit a new congressional map by Feb. 6. The decision is expected to be appealed.
Details of the ruling
In a Democratic-led lawsuit, petitioners argued that the current district lines improperly link Staten Island with portions of southern Brooklyn, weakening minority voting strength. They urged the court to require a map that instead pairs Staten Island with part of southern Manhattan and shifts the affected Brooklyn neighborhoods into New York’s 10th Congressional District, represented by Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman.
Pearlman agreed that the existing configuration unlawfully diluted minority voters’ influence, though his order did not mandate a specific replacement map.
Democrats currently control 19 of New York’s 26 congressional districts. Because the 10th District is heavily Democratic, incorporating part of it into the 11th could give Democrats a viable path to flipping the seat held by Malliotakis.
“In the short term, this is a victory for the Democrats — with a clouded future,” said Jeffrey Wice, a New York Law School professor and expert on redistricting. Wice noted that the ruling leaves unresolved what happens if the redistricting commission deadlocks, as it has in the past, and how quickly appeals courts might intervene.
Political reaction
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., praised the ruling, calling it an important step toward fair representation.
“This ruling is the first step toward ensuring communities of interest remain intact from Staten Island to Lower Manhattan,” Jeffries said in a statement. “The voters of New York deserve the fairest congressional map possible.”
New York Republican Party Chair Ed Cox sharply criticized the decision, accusing the court of political bias.
“This was a partisan ruling made by a partisan judge in a case brought by a notoriously partisan attorney,” Cox said. “The Staten Island/Brooklyn Congressional District has existed for almost 45 years.”
Malliotakis did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Broader redistricting battle
The ruling comes amid an escalating national fight over congressional maps. President Donald Trump urged Republican-led states last summer to pursue mid-decade redistricting to help the GOP protect its narrow House majority, breaking with the traditional once-a-decade redrawing tied to the census.
Democrats have responded more aggressively than initially expected. In California, Democratic lawmakers bypassed the state’s independent redistricting process to enact a map that could net the party as many as five additional House seats — potentially offsetting Republican gains in Texas. In total, six states enacted new congressional maps last year.
This year, Virginia Democrats are advancing a proposed constitutional amendment that could open the door to new district lines, while Florida Republicans plan to hold a special redistricting session in the spring. In Maryland, Democrats continue to debate whether to pursue a similar strategy.
What comes next
If upheld on appeal, the New York ruling would force the redistricting commission to act quickly, though legal challenges could delay implementation. Any revised map could have major implications not only for Malliotakis’ district, but for the national balance of power in the House.
For now, the decision adds momentum to Democrats’ broader effort to counter Republican-led redistricting moves — and underscores how aggressively both parties are willing to fight over district lines well before the next census.
