Onondaga County’s elections commissioners are hoping New York state lawmakers act soon on the new congressional district map approved by the independent redistricting commission. But any delays could throw the election calendar into chaos once again.
The IRC delivered a map that by most accounts makes modest changes that don’t seem to benefit one party over another. There are no cries of gerrymandering from either side. But GOP elections commissioner Michele Sardo does take exception to how Central New York’s 22nd district was drawn. It might threaten the incumbency of freshman republican Brandon Williams, because Sardo says the district now includes about 10,000 more democrats.
“It’s aimed toward the democrats again. They’re trying to gain more ground,” Sardo said.
Democratic commissioner Dustin Czarny says the newly-drawn district is reminiscent of the 2012 map, which he says reflects a true swing district.
“I think the individual map of New York-22 in many ways makes a lot of sense," Czarny said. "There are like-minded communities of Syracuse, Auburn and Utica.”
The 22nd district as proposed keeps Onondaga and Madison Counties from the 2022 map, but loses northern Oneida County in favor of gaining parts of Cortland and Cayuga Counties. Now, the commissioner Czarny says the legislature has to act quickly.
“I'm hoping that we have a final map by February 27th," Czarny said. "That is when petitioning is supposed to start and. Any real delay past that date puts in jeopardy the political calendar that's in place now.”
GOP commissioner Sardo also hopes for swift action.
“So if they're not done and they keep pushing off, the petitions will be passed in the district that we currently have," Sardo said. "But if they change it again, then the process just keeps starting over and over and it's not fair. It's not fair to the voters and it's not fair to our counties.”
State lawmakers have the option of approving the map or redrawing it themselves. Like 2022, the latter would likely trigger legal action and potentially delay the June 25 congressional primary. But the legislature is on recess next week and is not due to return until the 26th. New York faces a court-ordered deadline of February 28 to complete its redistricting process.
COMMISSIONERS EXPRESS DOUBTS WITH IRC
Both Onondaga County Elections Commissioners question the integrity of the entire state redistricting process. Democratic Commissioner Dustin Czarny says he’s been a critic if the IRC from the beginning, and calls it flawed.
“It is not an independent redistricting commission because there are political appointees," Czarny said. "There is equal members on the committee but no tie breaking mechanism, which led to the initial reluctance to come up with a single map.”
That was back in early 2022, when republicans and democrats on the commission released competing maps. Republican Commissioner Michele Sardo agrees that the IRC is inherently flawed.
“There's always partisanship when it comes to stuff like this, there's always someone is always getting pulled one way and the other ones getting pulled another way trying to do for their side so they can say it's bipartisan. I don't believe it is.”
Sardo believes many commissioners were swayed to vote in favor of the map. She takes issue with the new 22nd district, which now includes about 10,000 more Democrats and could threaten the incumbency of freshman GOP congressmember Brandon Williams. Sardo wants state lawmakers reject the map.
“What I hope happens is that they vote against it. But we all know they're not going to because it's democratic controlled and they're going to vote for this because they again want more control.”
State lawmakers have the option of approving the map or redrawing it themselves. Like 2022, the latter would likely trigger legal action and potentially delay the June 25 congressional primary. But the legislature is on recess this week and is not due to return until the 26th. New York faces a court-ordered deadline of February 28 to complete its redistricting process.
