Republicans have appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to block a state judge’s order requiring a redraw of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ New York City district after it was ruled to dilute Black and Latino voting strength. An appellate decision has directed the state redistricting commission to craft a new map, and Malliotakis has asked the high court for an emergency stay so candidate petitioning can proceed under the current lines. The Department of Justice has filed in support, and a rapid decision from the Supreme Court is being sought amid tight election deadlines.
Supreme Court Asked To Freeze Redraw Of NYC’s Only GOP House Seat — Deadline Adds Urgency
FILE - Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., talks to reporters following a meeting for President-elect Donald Trump's picks for the planned Department of Government Efficiency at the Capitol, Dec. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr., File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
ALBANY, N.Y. — Republican leaders have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a state-court order that would force a redraw of New York City’s only Republican-held congressional district, represented by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, after a state judge struck down the current map.
Last month, state trial Judge Jeffrey Pearlman invalidated the district lines after an election law firm aligned with Democrats argued the map diluted the voting power of Black and Latino residents in Staten Island and southern Brooklyn. A short decision by a state appeals court on Thursday sided with Democrats and effectively instructed the state redistricting commission to produce a new congressional map.
With candidate petitioning scheduled to begin next Tuesday, Malliotakis and GOP election officials filed emergency appeals asking the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the lower-court ruling. The campaign and its lawyers say the ruling threatens to upend the upcoming election schedule and have asked the high court to decide quickly — by Monday — so petitioning can proceed under the current map.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has been unequivocal: race-based redistricting violates the U.S. Constitution,” Malliotakis said in a statement. “I look forward to the Supreme Court’s intervention to uphold the rule of law and preserve the integrity of our elections.”
The Justice Department under the Trump administration filed a brief supporting the emergency request. Republicans point to recent Supreme Court moves that allowed new maps in Texas and California as precedent for similar relief in New York. Democrats were required to file responses with the high court; it remains unclear when the justices will act.
Observers warn that redrawing a single district can ripple across neighboring districts, complicating timing and logistics for candidates and election officials alike. Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Research Group noted the narrow timetable: “The clock is not the candidates’ friend on this one — unless the courts rule that Pearlman got it wrong and everything stays the way that it is.”
If the Supreme Court declines to intervene, the state commission would still need time to draw and finalize new lines — a process that could prolong uncertainty and reshape competitive dynamics in this year’s fight for control of the U.S. House.
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