A Gerrymander Mulligan in New York?

null By The Editorial BoardNov. 14, 2023 6:13 pm ETJournal Editorial Report: The week’s best and worst from Bill McGurn, Kate Bachelder Odell, Mene Ukueberuwa, and Kim Strassel. Images: AFP/Getty Images/Reuters Composite: Mark KellyRepublicans hold the House by a historically small margin of four seats, and Democrats see a second round of New York gerrymandering as a way to retake the Speaker’s gavel. The Empire State’s 2022 elections were held using a neutral map imposed by the judiciary, and it turned out to be fair. This week Democrats are going to the state’s highest appeals court, seeking a second chance to draw a map that’s unfair. In the 2022 elections, Democratic House candidates across New York won about 54% of the raw votes. That produced victories in an equitable 15 of the state’s 26 seats, or 58%. Those district lines also ensured at least some true political competition, with five House seats (most of them now held by Republicans) won by margins of fewer than five points

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The Editorial Board

Nov. 14, 2023 6:13 pm ET

Journal Editorial Report: The week’s best and worst from Bill McGurn, Kate Bachelder Odell, Mene Ukueberuwa, and Kim Strassel. Images: AFP/Getty Images/Reuters Composite: Mark Kelly

Republicans hold the House by a historically small margin of four seats, and Democrats see a second round of New York gerrymandering as a way to retake the Speaker’s gavel. The Empire State’s 2022 elections were held using a neutral map imposed by the judiciary, and it turned out to be fair. This week Democrats are going to the state’s highest appeals court, seeking a second chance to draw a map that’s unfair.

In the 2022 elections, Democratic House candidates across New York won about 54% of the raw votes. That produced victories in an equitable 15 of the state’s 26 seats, or 58%. Those district lines also ensured at least some true political competition, with five House seats (most of them now held by Republicans) won by margins of fewer than five points. This is exactly what New Yorkers asked for when they passed a constitutional amendment in 2014 to ban partisan gerrymandering.