New York Governor Hochul signs new district map dividing Broome in two

Ladies and gentlemen, start your lawyers.

Many legal challenges are expected over the redistricting issue now that New York Governor Kathy Hochul has approved new maps for the state’s congressional districts that give Democrats a heavy political edge over Republicans.

Despite allegations of gerrymandering and objections from GOP lawmakers, the Democratic governor on Feb. 3 signed into law the new card, which will be used in future primary contests.

The state legislature had approved the new maps along party lines. They were drawn so that of the 26 congressional districts into which New York will be divided, Democrats will be the majority of registered voters in 22 of them.

The new districts eliminate a congressional seat and split Broome County in two and get rid of Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney’s 22.^n/a District, putting the northern part of the county in the new 23^rd district, which Tenney says she will run to represent, although she does not live within its boundaries, and the southern part of Broome in the redesigned 19^and district currently represented by Democrat Antonio Delgado.

Republicans have said they are considering legal challenges to the maps, saying they violate the state constitution. The Democratic state leaders who proposed them said the maps reflect changes in the state’s population over the past decade.

The state’s election primaries are approaching in June.

Small towns in southern and central New York