New York Post

Quick on the draw in Albany

- By CARL CAMPANILE

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.

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