{"id":22412,"date":"2026-05-08T21:32:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T21:32:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/ny-dems-are-primed-to-pull-redistricting-punches\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T21:32:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T21:32:22","slug":"ny-dems-are-primed-to-pull-redistricting-punches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/ny-dems-are-primed-to-pull-redistricting-punches\/","title":{"rendered":"NY Dems are primed to pull redistricting punches"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"New<\/p>\n

DAYS THE BUDGET IS LATE: 38<\/span><\/p>\n

VOTING RIGHTS DILEMMA:<\/b> With Democrats\u2019 national redistricting calculus now in disarray over today\u2019s court order blocking new Virginia maps<\/a>, party leaders are looking to New York as a prime opportunity to keep pace with Republicans.<\/p>\n

But as top Democrats in the Empire State move ahead with their attempt to redraw lines in 2028, they\u2019re also far more likely to pull their punches in the ongoing gerrymandering wars.<\/p>\n

The Supreme Court\u2019s decision last week to end a key provision of the Voting Rights Act<\/a> allows states to break up districts previously drawn to accommodate minority voters. Republicans in states like Alabama and Tennessee are rushing to take advantage by dissolving majority Black districts. In New York \u2014 the state where Democrats have the most to gain by drawing new lines \u2014 there\u2019s virtually no appetite to respond in kind, underscoring a looming barrier for blue states in the redistricting fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople were walking across bridges and being mauled, and have lost their lives for these rights,\u201d New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said of the VRA. \u201cThese laws are there because there has been a real effort to disenfranchise certain people, certainly Black people, from being able to vote. So we want to protect that.”<\/p>\n

In the coming weeks, New York lawmakers are expected to begin the lengthy process of approving a constitutional amendment that would let them redraw congressional lines in 2028. If successful, the measure stands to turn a state with 19 Democrats and seven Republicans into one with a 22-4 or 23-3 edge.<\/p>\n

Such an outcome is akin to what Republicans pushed through in Texas last summer \u2014 but not as extreme as the 9-0 Republican map Tennessee lawmakers drew Thursday by eliminating a Black majority district in Memphis.<\/p>\n

In New York, a 26-0 map isn\u2019t plausible. But in a deep blue state where Democrats routinely receive around 60 percent of the vote in statewide races, maps that feature tendrils extending from the Bronx and Brooklyn into the furthest regions of upstate and Long Island are possible. And such a reconfiguration would give Democrats an even greater advantage compared with maps they\u2019ve floated in the not so distant past.<\/p>\n

Doing that would require eliminating districts that were protected by the VRA until last week. Those districts include the Brooklyn seat held by House Minority Hakeem Jeffries.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think we want to roll back protections for minority communities in New York,\u201d said Senate Deputy Leader Mike Gianaris who\u2019s led his conference\u2019s redistricting efforts since 2012.<\/p>\n

The fact that keeping these districts intact is a core personal political belief for leaders like Stewart-Cousins \u2014 and a political third rail for everyone in the state\u2019s Democratic Party \u2014 will likely limit how aggressively Democrats will approach redistricting.<\/p>\n

On Long Island, for example, Democrats might be able to draw lines in 2018 that increase the delegation from a tenuous 2-2 to a safer 3-1. But taking a swing at a 4-0 set of maps isn\u2019t possible without destroying districts in Brooklyn and Queens.<\/p>\n

Read more from Bill Mahoney in Blue Light News Pro here.<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

From the Capitol<\/h3>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

CASE CLOSED: <\/b>State investigators closed two probes into undisclosed conflicts of interest<\/a> by SUNY Downstate Medical Center\u2019s former CEO, David Berger, according to records reviewed by Blue Light News.<\/p>\n

The New York State Office of the Inspector General and the state\u2019s Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government each opened investigations into Berger upon a referral from SUNY.<\/p>\n

Investigators confirmed Berger had professional relationships with multiple companies that had contracts with SUNY Downstate, which he did not initially report. But investigators also discovered Berger \u2014 and potentially hundreds of other SUNY Downstate employees \u2014 hadn\u2019t been placed on the institution\u2019s list of people required to file financial disclosures.<\/p>\n

Richard Friedman, an attorney representing Berger, said his client promptly filed the necessary forms once notified of his obligations. Berger does not believe his affiliation with the companies created any conflicts of interest, Friedman added.<\/p>\n

Berger, who was hired in 2020, reported serving as an adviser to digital health startups Plannery, Opmed.ai, Mishe and Copient Health while he was CEO of the Brooklyn teaching hospital, according to copies of 2022 and 2023 financial disclosures. Berger also reported a consulting agreement with Murata Vios, which sells technology for remotely monitoring patients.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt SUNY, we expect the highest ethical conduct from senior officials, and we will always uphold that value,\u201d SUNY spokesperson Holly Liapis said in a statement. \u2014\u00a0Maya Kaufman<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

HOCHUL VERSUS TEACHERS UNIONS: <\/b>The state and city\u2019s powerful teachers unions pressed Gov. Kathy Hochul to reject a GOP-backed federal tax credit program after she signaled support<\/a> for the initiative.<\/p>\n

States can voluntarily opt into the program, which lets taxpayers write off contributions to charitable organizations that offer scholarships for private school tuition and other expenses. Hochul\u2019s office confirmed her support today, but insisted she wants to review the details \u201cfor poison pills that could harm New York\u2019s education system.\u201d<\/p>\n

The teachers unions contend the program will funnel billions of tax dollars away from public schools and into private schools with no oversight.<\/p>\n

\u201cVouchers \u2014 by any name \u2014 take money away from neighborhood schools and hand it to private institutions that don\u2019t answer to the public,\u201d New York State United Teachers President Melinda Person said in a statement. \u201cNew Yorkers have rejected this approach before, and we sincerely hope that once the full details of President Trump\u2019s voucher scheme emerge, it will be clear state leadership should reject it again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, said his union is \u201cvehemently opposed to this optional federal voucher program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Support for the program could also set up a showdown between the governor and the Democrat-led state Legislature, which is closely aligned with the teachers unions.<\/p>\n

State Sen. John Liu, who chairs the Senate\u2019s New York City Education Committee, said the tax credit may appear \u201centicing\u201d but warned of long-term damage to states\u2019 ability to provide public education.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany governors and legislatures around the country have recognized this tax credit for the Faustian bargain it is and have already opted out, and I sincerely hope that New York will opt out as well,\u201d Liu said in a statement. \u2014<\/i> Madina Tour\u00e9<\/b><\/p>\n

CARL CLARIFIES: <\/b>Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie is dialing back his Hochul criticism today after his peevish press gaggle denying there was a state budget deal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe governor and I had a really good conversation,\u201d the Bronx Democrat told NY1. \u201cMy issue was never with her. I feel like I have an amazing relationship with the governor. My concern was more of the process. I do think we\u2019re very close on the budget and expect we\u2019ll get it done in short order.\u201d<\/p>\n

For weeks Heastie has decried the amount of non-fiscal policy matters in the budget negotiations. Hochul on Thursday announced a \u201cgeneral agreement\u201d on the spending plan without many details filled in, including specifics for pension changes, education spending and health care. \u2014 Nick Reisman<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

FROM CITY HALL<\/h3>\n

\"Lindsay<\/p>\n

BOYLAN BACKS OUT: <\/b>Lindsey Boylan, an activist who became the first woman to accuse former Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual misconduct in 2020, is pulling the plug on her campaign for a Manhattan-based City Council seat.<\/p>\n

Boylan already lost last month\u2019s special election for the vacant seat to Council staffer Carl Wilson. But after her defeat, she didn\u2019t immediately say whether she would remain on the ballot for this summer\u2019s Democratic primary for the 3rd Council District, which spans a section of Manhattan\u2019s West Side.<\/p>\n

This morning, Boylan announced she will bow out from the June primary, putting Wilson on a glidepath to winning a full term.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter much consideration, I have decided not to run in the June 23 Democratic Primary,\u201d Boylan said in a statement. \u201cWhile I will not be running in the primary, I could not be prouder of what we built together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boylan\u2019s loss was a blow<\/a> to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who endorsed her shortly before the April 28 special election. It was also a feather in the cap for Council Speaker Julie Menin, who endorsed Wilson along with other more moderate forces in the Democratic Party. \u2014 Chris Sommerfeldt\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

MAKING THE PITCH:<\/b> Airbnb, a company whose primary business in New York City is all but banned, is trying to get back in the game during the World Cup.<\/p>\n

The company held an event today<\/a> at a Bronx public school to celebrate mini soccer pitches it\u2019s bankrolling at several schools across the region \u2014 projects meant to leave what the company called a \u201cmeaningful and lasting impact on local communities in New York and New Jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and the city Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels attended the groundbreaking.<\/p>\n

A week ago, the company was at the Jamaica YMCA announcing it would provide kids with 1,000 tickets<\/a> to the World Cup.<\/p>\n

The goodwill events come as the company\u2019s allies are looking to reopen doors through a revived City Council bill<\/a> that would make way for short-term rentals in one- and two-family homes. The company made a similar push under former Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who tried but ultimately failed<\/a> to get a previous version of the bill passed last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re committed to helping ensure the legacy of the World Cup lasts far beyond this summer and actually benefits everyday New Yorkers, like our hosts and communities they call home in the outer boroughs \u2014 not just Midtown Manhattan hotels,\u201d Nathan Rothman, a company spokesperson, said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Airbnb\u2019s appearances haven\u2019t gone unnoticed by the company\u2019s chief foe, the politically powerful Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, which this week launched the \u201cGOALS Coalition<\/a>\u201d aimed at, among other things, ensuring that the anti-Airbnb restrictions are enforced during the World Cup.<\/p>\n

Whitney Hu, a spokesperson for the coalition, said \u201cpeople are tired of seeing mega-corporations use every major event as an excuse to weaken protections, exploit loopholes, and revive policies that primarily benefit corporate investors at the expense of the communities that actually live here.\u201d \u2014 Ry Rivard<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

SECOND SUIT: <\/b>A prominent NYPD union is suing the city\u2019s police oversight board for the second time in two weeks.<\/p>\n

The Police Benevolent Association filed a lawsuit Friday in state Supreme Court alleging the Civilian Complaint Review Board \u2014 which investigates cases of alleged police misconduct and recommends punishments to the NYPD commissioner \u2014 is mishandling officers\u2019 records.<\/p>\n

Specifically, the union alleges that the CCRB is failing to follow a state law requiring notification to any member of the force whose disciplinary records are sought via a Freedom of Information Law request.<\/p>\n

\u201cCCRB is so thoroughly infected with anti-police bias that it refuses to comply with even the most basic requirements of fairness and due process under the law,\u201d PBA President Patrick Hendry said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The city\u2019s Law Department declined to comment and referred Playbook to the CCRB. A representative for the board countered the PBA\u2019s assertions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CCRB\u2019s investigations are complete, thorough and impartial,\u201d spokesperson Dakota Gardner said in a statement. \u201cThe Agency continually reviews all applicable laws and regulations regarding the public release of its records, including disciplinary histories of members of service, to ensure it is fully compliant.\u201d<\/p>\n

The legal volley is part of a broader effort to push back against the CCRB through the courts, according to the PBA, which has often clashed with the oversight body.<\/p>\n

Two weeks ago, the union filed a federal lawsuit alleging the CCRB released unsubstantiated complaints against officers without redacting sensitive information. \u2014<\/i><\/b> Joe Anuta<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL<\/h3>\n

\"Brooklyn<\/p>\n

LOYALTY: <\/b>Antonio Reynoso has some thoughts on Mamdani.<\/p>\n

The Brooklyn borough president is one of three Democrats running in a contentious primary to succeed retiring Rep. Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez, who has endorsed him. Mamdani, meanwhile, is backing Assemblymember Claire Valdez, a fellow member of the Democratic Socialists of America.<\/p>\n

In a wide-ranging interview with The New York Editorial Board<\/a> \u2014 after Reynoso relayed that the mayor suggested he shouldn\u2019t run for Congress \u2014 he was asked what that meant to him. Reynoso, who endorsed Mamdani in the mayoral primary, replied that Mamdani doesn\u2019t \u201cknow\u201d him or his \u201chistory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I was good enough to be in citywide Spanish media for him,\u201d Reynoso said. \u201cI was good enough to do a commercial in all of Brooklyn for him, supporting his candidacy. I think that we were aligned because I\u2019m a [Working Families Party] pup, I\u2019m a kid that\u2019s always been with the WFP. He\u2019s seen a lot of the progressive work that I\u2019ve done, and he knows me as Antonio, maybe that way as a politician, but he doesn\u2019t know my history.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s not bothered, though.<\/p>\n

When asked if he thinks Mamdani is \u201cdisloyal,\u201d he responded: \u201cI think he is disloyal,\u201d referring to the tension between Mamdani and Vel\u00e1zquez<\/a>. \u201cAnd I want to say this, not to me so much. He\u2019s DSA, he\u2019s loyal to the DSA. I respect that. I\u2019m not going to be mad at that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s what he did to Nydia more so than me,\u201d Reynoso continued. \u201cI think he\u2019s doing what he\u2019s got to do for his people, and he doesn\u2019t need to be with me, and it doesn\u2019t bother me one bit. Even if I endorsed him, I get it. I think Nydia was asking him to sit down and come to an agreement and saying, \u2018Hey, it doesn\u2019t need to be Antonio.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

A Mamdani spokesperson didn\u2019t respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

Mamdani had a commanding performance in the district last year, and his endorsement is seen as a huge asset to Valdez\u2019s candidacy. So the harsh words might not land particularly well with the Mamdani fans in the primary electorate.<\/p>\n

City Council member Julie Won, the other Democrat vying for the seat, has also come out against Mamdani<\/a> on at least one issue: Sunnyside Yard, the housing redevelopment project<\/a> that Mamdani met with Trump about earlier this year. \u2014<\/i> Madison Fernandez<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

IN OTHER NEWS<\/h3>\n

\u2014 SLICE OF TROUBLE:<\/b> New York officials are struggling to finalize Hochul\u2019s proposed pied-\u00e0-terre tax on luxury second homes as legal hurdles and budget infighting stall the plan. (Bloomberg<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u2014 KNOCK KNOCK:<\/b> New York\u2019s top utility regulator has launched a probe into debt-collection practices at major utilities, including PSEG Long Island and Con Edison, after reports of controversial remarks at a Florida conference. (Newsday<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u2014 OFF THE RAILS: <\/b>Five unions representing 3,500 Long Island Rail Road workers say contract talks with the MTA have stalled, accusing the agency of \u201csurface bargaining\u201d as a potential May 16 strike looms. (New York Daily News<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Missed this morning\u2019s New York Playbook? We forgive you. <\/b>Read it here<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DAYS THE BUDGET IS LATE: 38 VOTING RIGHTS DILEMMA: With Democrats\u2019 national redistricting calculus now in disarray over today\u2019s court order blocking new Virginia maps, party leaders are looking to New York as a prime opportunity to keep pace with Republicans. But as top Democrats in the Empire State move ahead with their attempt to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22413,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22412"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22412\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}