Quick on the draw in Albany
State Democrats had already drawn up new congressional maps Tuesday that could tip the scales in several battleground elections, just hours after they trashed a bipartisan group’s boundaries.
The Democrat-led Legislature is now rushing to get their version of the maps across the finish line with a vote coming as soon as Wednesday in reshaped districts that appear to give the inside track to re-election to Reps. Tom Suozzi and Jamaal Bowman.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) said Gov. Hochul could issue an emergency order that would bypass a requirement that action on legislation must wait at least three days to allow for public review.
“We hope so,” Heastie said Tuesday of a vote. “We would need the governor’s assistance to do it tomorrow. We are in discussions with the governor.”
The plan was introduced in the Assembly and Senate late Monday night into Tuesday morning. Hochul said she’s considering waiving the three-day requirement as candidates have already begun the process of gathering signatures to appear on election ballots as of Tuesday.
Democrats were expected to reshape districts more favorable to their candidates after they rejected an Independent Redistricting Commission’s proposed maps Monday.
But the Democrats largely adhered to the IRC map — with surgical tweaks to boundaries rather than dramatic changes, a move political veterans told The Post gives them a better chance of withstanding court challenges.
Under the most recent maps, Suozzi’s 3rd District in Long Island’s Nassau County and Queens would skew slightly more Democrat. Conservativeleaning Massapequa would be cut out of the district, which would instead snake into Suffolk County to include more Democratic areas such as the Town of Huntington.
More surprising to some political insiders were changes made in The Bronx, which could have an effect on a Democratic primary fight in the 16th Congressional District. The Bronx and Westchester County seat is held by Bowman, a two-term incumbent and member of the liberalleaning Squad that also includes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Democrats’ mapmakers put heavily black Co-Op City back into the 16th after the neighborhood was removed by a court monitor two years ago. But it replaces Wakefield, a heavily black neighborhood.
Co-Op City with 40,000 residents has been in AOC’s district, which will be altered to include more of the South Bronx.
Bowman, who is black, is believed to need heavy support in African-American portions of the district to beat back a serious primary challenge from Westchester County Executive George Latimer, who is white and is expected to have strong returns in the suburbs.
Bowman pleaded guilty last year to falsely pulling a fire alarm in a congressional office building.