The New York congressional map proposed by a court-appointed special master will likely cause major infighting between Democratic incumbents.
The map, revealed Monday, threw multiple elected Democrats into the same districts, including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Sean Patrick Maloney, who currently represents New York’s 18th Congressional District. He will now face off against freshman Rep. Mondaire Jones in New York’s 17th Congressional District.
The Democrat-controlled state legislature initially drew a map that greatly favored the party, but the courts threw it out in April for not being “bipartisan.” A special master was then appointed to draw a new map. (RELATED: New York High Court Throws Out Congressional Map For ‘Impermissibly’ Favoring Democrats)
“While the process to draw these maps without the legislature is against the will of voters, if the newly-announced maps are finalized, I will run in New York’s 17th Congressional District,” Maloney tweeted Monday. “NY-17 includes my home and many of the Hudson Valley communities I currently represent.”
“Further, I believe I am the only sitting member who resides in NY17,” he added.
While Jones represents the 17th district under the current lines, his place of residence will reside in the 16th Congressional District if the proposed map is finalized, according to David Wasserman, a senior editor at The Cook Political Report.
Just when you thought things couldn’t get tougher for the DCCC, its chair could be locked in a nasty member vs. member primary until late August. https://t.co/IAu2vcKJ99
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) May 17, 2022
“Just when you thought things couldn’t get tougher for the DCCC, its chair could be locked in a nasty member vs. member primary until late August,” Wasserman tweeted.
“Sean Patrick Maloney did not even give me a heads up before he went on Twitter to make that announcement,” Jones told Politico’s Ally Mutnick. “And I think that tells you everything you need know about Sean Patrick Maloney.”
Both of the newly drawn districts voted for President Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, but the 17th district would have voted for the Democrat by two points more than the 18th district in the proposed map, according to Wasserman. The current unfavorability of the Democratic Party has led to predictions some typically left-of-center seats could be at risk.
Neither Maloney nor Jones immediately responded to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Democratic House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler will also compete against Democratic House Oversight Chair Carolyn Maloney in New York’s 12th Congressional District under the proposed map. Wasserman had originally predicted Nadler would run in a different district than Maloney’s that still had “most of his current constituents,” but he chose otherwise.
“That’s not only not good for the House, the institution, I don’t think it’s good for New York,” Democratic Rep. Joseph Morelle said of the new map’s lines, Politico reported. “Two of our leading members may be facing each other. It’s just tragic.”
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