Redistricting Tug-of-War in New York State
[Originally published in The Local / NY Times on Nov. 1, 2010]
Map 50th Assembly District in 2000
State Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrat from the 57th Assembly District, had good reasons to sign a pledge to support an independent, non-partisan redistricting commission next year.
In 2000, Jeffries challenged the Democratic incumbent in a primary and lost. By the time redistricting was complete in 2002, the building he lived in was drawn out of the district. Jeffries had to sell his apartment and move with his family into the district to run again for the Assembly seat, which he won in 2006.
Was the redistricting politically motivated?
“I leave that for others to determine,” Jeffries said. In any case, he added, “The bigger problem is that the community is hurt when lines are drawn not based on objective standards of common interests but based on the desire to protect incumbents for political parties that are in power.”
And of his pledge to support an independent commission to draw those lines next year, Jeffries said, “It’s the right thing to do.”
Local legislators are literally split down the middle over who should draw the new geographical lines for political districts in New York State based on census figures.
Jeffries is in favor of turning power over to an independent body proposed by former Mayor Ed Koch. State Senator Velmanette Montgomery is in favor of pretty much anything that keeps it out of Koch’s hands.
And the third, Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, of the 50th District, is on both sides: In favor of an independent body — but only if legislators have a say.
“I don’t think it is useful to have a commission without the legislators,” Lentol said. “I know that from my 30 years of service.”
The issue was touched off by NY Uprising, an independent coalition formed by Koch that started a reform campaign in the spring. The group demands that all candidates — incumbents and challengers alike — sign a pledge committing to the creation of an independent, non-partisan redistricting commission next year.
“I believe most of these people will stick to their promise,” said Koch about the candidates and incumbents who already signed the pledge. “In politics you have to be honorable.”
Redistricting, the redrawing of congressional and state district lines every 10 years after each census count, is done in New York by the state legislature, a process that many say leads to the practice of gerrymandering, in which the two parties engage in back-room wheeling and dealing to customize districts for its incumbents. NY Uprising seeks to end this practice, demanding transparency and the drawing of districts that are contiguous and don’t dilute the power of minority voters.
The group classifies those who sign the pledge as “heroes” of reform, and those who do not as “enemies.”
Montgomery is one local Democratic legislator who didn’t sign the pledge. Jim Vogel, Montgomery’s downstate communications director, said she has long pushed for independent redistricting in Albany but she didn’t sign because she believes a legislator should maintain her options and not subordinate her vote for any reason.
NY Uprising’s proposal states that the independent redistricting commission includes provisions endorsed by Citizens Union of New York, a non-profit organization pushing for political reform in Albany and other government reform organizations.
“Anybody who lived through the Koch administration won’t appreciate the irony of Koch yelling about reform in Albany,” said Vogel. “To be labeled ‘hero’ for signing a meaningless piece of paper is just a joke.”
In the 50th Assembly District, Democrat Joseph Lentol told Citizens Union in July that he opposes legislation that creates an independent redistricting commission, but he nevertheless signed the NY Uprising pledge in August. He says he supports Koch’s proposal because it will allow input from legislators.
Citizens Union sent a questionnaire and interviewed Mr. Lentol in the summer to assess the possibility of supporting him in the primary and midterm elections. The organization ended up not endorsing him for either election, saying it was because of his stance on involving legislators in the process of drawing district lines.
“Legislators cannot be trusted with drawing a line for the district,” said Alex Camarda, Citizens Union’s director of public policy.
If elected officials change their mind about the pledge they signed once in office next year, Koch has a plan to hold them accountable.
“It’s not possible to sue them,” said Koch. “But we’ll go to their districts and yell to them, ‘liars.’ We’ll ridicule them in the media.”
