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☆ Justices Allowed a Contested Voting Map in South Carolina
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority cleared the way today for South Carolina to keep using a congressional map that a lower court had deemed an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. All three liberal justices dissented. The ruling handed a victory to the state’s Republicans by allowing them to maintain a stronghold on a district in Charleston County. The immediate effect will be limited: This year’s elections were already set to take place under the contested map. In dissent, the liberal justices argued that it could become all but impossible to challenge voting maps as racial gerrymanders.

Persons: Samuel Alito, ”, Richard Hasen Organizations: voters Locations: South Carolina, Charleston County

☆ Supreme Court allows second majority-Black district in Louisiana over liberal dissents
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( John Fritze | Fredreka Schouten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The ruling will have an impact beyond the Louisiana district, which likely explains the vote count, said CNN Supreme Court analyst Steve Vladeck. The Supreme Court has never defined what constitutes a “last-minute” election decision that should bar courts from weighing into such disputes. In a brief dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said it was premature for the Supreme Court to intervene in the case. Louisiana came to the Supreme Court caught between two lower court orders. Two years ago, the Supreme Court allowed that map to be used in the midterm even though a lower court said it was likely illegal.

Persons: Sen, Cleo Fields, “, ”, Liz Murrill, –, Steve Vladeck, Vladeck, Purcell, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Purcell “, ” “, ” Jackson, Jackson, ” Vladeck, “ Today’s, Garret Graves, Jeff Landry’s, ” Michael McClanahan, ” Edward Greim, Paul Hurd Organizations: CNN, Democrats, Representatives, Democrat, Republican, US, CNN Supreme, Black, University of Texas School of Law, Louisiana Gov, Court, Supreme, White Republicans, White, NAACP Louisiana State Conference, “ Locations: Black, Louisiana, Shreveport, Baton Rouge, Rep, Bayou, Republican Louisiana

☆ A Trump judge and Biden’s Justice Department agree that a Texas map is illegal. But that doesn’t mean it will change
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —A county redistricting plan in Texas that a Donald Trump-appointed judge deemed “a clear violation” of the Voting Rights Act is back before a notoriously conservative appeals court. After the 2021 Census, the Republican-led county commission broke up that district, locking in four majority-white districts instead. Their opponents argue that Congress did not intend for multiple “classes” of minorities to be considered together when assessing a map’s Voting Rights Act compliance. Black and Latino voices ‘extinguished,’ judge saysThe 2021 map split up the long-established Precinct 3, spreading those minority voters across the four total commission precincts. “It would be devastating for minority voters as devastating as it was for Galveston’s Black and Latino voters.”

Persons: Donald Trump, Biden, Jeffrey Vincent Brown, –, ”, Valencia Richardson, Christian Adams, ‘, ” Brown, Brown, Mark Henry –, Henry, Robin Armstrong, Armstrong, Adams, Circuit “, Elena Kagan, …, ” Chad Ennis –, ” Ennis, Hilary Harris Klein Organizations: CNN, Republican, 5th, Campaign, “, Senate, Justice Department, Galveston Republicans, Interest Legal Foundation, Circuit, Southern Coalition for Social Justice Locations: Texas, Galveston’s County, Galveston County, White, Galveston, Louisiana, Mississippi, ”

At issue is a map drawn by state lawmakers that included a second majority African American district in Louisiana’s six-district congressional plan. The Supreme Court’s intervention, the groups argued Wednesday, “is needed to ensure that harm is not repeated.”The Supreme Court could allow the newly drawn congressional districts to be used in this year’s election. Throughout the process, Republican lawmakers suggested in public statements that a primary motivation was to adhere to court orders and draw a second majority Black district. The Supreme Court is already weighing a separate equal protection challenge over South Carolina’s congressional maps. Given the delay in the Supreme Court issuing its decision, the lower court has ruled that the 2024 elections can proceed under the map it previously deemed unconstitutional.

Persons: “, ”, –, Allen, Milligan, Mike Johnson, Steve Scalise, doesn’t, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Taiwan Scott Organizations: CNN, Civil, Court, White, Republicans, African American, ”, GOP, Supreme, Supreme Court, Republican, South, South Carolina State Conference of, NAACP, American Locations: Black, Louisiana, Louisiana’s, Alabama, Shreveport, Baton Rouge, Taiwan, South Carolina

☆ Opinion | Nancy Pelosi, on Reforms to Reinforce Democracy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “The Constitution Won’t Save Us From Trump,” by Aziz Rana (Opinion guest essay, April 28):Mr. Rana makes a strong case for legislative solutions that will reinforce American democracy. To that end, many of the reforms he calls for were already passed by House Democrats in 2022. Our Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act would take these steps:1) Aim to stop voter suppression and election subversion. 4) Curtail the harmful, anti-democracy Citizens United decision by enacting the Disclose Act, which curbs anonymous funders from suffocating the airwaves with misrepresentations. President Biden, a patriotic and determined champion for democracy, has been forceful in his support for these reforms.

Persons: ”, Aziz Rana, Rana, John R, Lewis, Biden, shamefully Organizations: House Democrats, Citizens, Republicans Locations: Trump

The Justice Department is expected to announce the indictment of longtime Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, on Friday, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. It wasn't immediately clear if the indictment was related to the 2022 raid. A year after the raid — which had not previously yielded arrests or charges — Cuellar told the Texas Tribune: "There has been no wrongdoing on my part. Despite the raid, Cuellar narrowly defeated a progressive challenger, Jessica Cisneros, in his 2022 primary and went on to win re-election to his seat that November. A member of the centrist Blue Dogs and New Democrat Coalition, Cuellar was first elected to the House in 2004.

Persons: Henry Cuellar, Cuellar's, Joshua Berman, Cuellar, — Cuellar, Jessica Cisneros, Cassy Garcia Organizations: NBC News, Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, Texas Tribune, Texans, Republican, Cuellar, Dogs, New Democrat Coalition Locations: Texas, Laredo , Texas, Azerbaijan, U.S, San Antonio

☆ Election Updates: Trump campaigns in battleground states for the first time since his trial began.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Chris Cameron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

The Louisiana secretary of state has ordered that the congressional map be finalized by May 15. Even so, they said, it was evident that creating a second district with a majority of Black voters was lawmakers’ overarching objective. But in the map drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature, only one of the six congressional districts had a majority Black population. The ruling reaffirmed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which had been diminished over the years by the court’s conservative majority. Critics of Tuesday’s ruling argued that the repercussions in Louisiana could extend beyond a single election, or even partisan divisions.

Persons: ”, Critics, Eric H, Holder Jr, Liz Murrill, “ I’ve, ’, David C, Joseph, Robert R, “, Carl E, Stewart, —, Tuesday’s, Ashley Shelton, Ms, Shelton Organizations: Black, U.S . Constitution, National Democratic, Republican, U.S, Supreme, . Constitution, State Legislature, Lawmakers, U.S ., Appeals, Fifth Circuit, American, Western, Western District of, Louisiana Legislature, voters, Power Coalition for Equity, Justice Locations: Louisiana, U.S ., ., Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Western District, Western District of Louisiana, Black, U.S

☆ Here are the 6 California Republicans up for reelection whose competitive districts could determine the House majority in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( John L. Dorman | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

And it is in these districts, from the Central Valley to the outskirts of Los Angeles and down to Orange County, where the House majority will likely be won or lost in 2024. Republicans currently hold a slim 218-seat majority, a precarious position for the party as the 213-member House Democratic Caucus works to flip the chamber this year. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesKen Calvert, 41st DistrictFirst elected to the House: 1992AdvertisementCalvert is the longest-serving California Republican in Congress. Calvert won most of his races by large margins before redistricting, and he last faced a truly competitive reelection fight in 2008. Valadao's return to Congress was overshadowed by his decision to become one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach President Donald Trump in the aftermath of the Capitol riot.

Persons: —, Kevin McCarthy —, Joe Biden, Young Kim, Bill Clark, Kim, Ed Royce, Gil Cisneros, McCarthy, Cisneros, Biden, She'll, Joe Kerr, Michelle Steel, Harley Rouda, Rouda, Dana Rohrabacher, Steel, Jay Chen, Derek Tran, Mike Garcia, Tom Williams, Garcia, Katie Hill, Christy Smith, Smith, George Whitesides, Ken Calvert, Calvert, he's, Will Rollins, Rollins, John Duarte, Duarte isn't, Duarte, Jim Jordan's, Jordan, Mike Johnson of, Democrat Adam Gray, Gray, David Valadao, Valadao, TJ Cox, Valadao's, Donald Trump, Rudy Salas, Salas Organizations: Service, Golden State, Business, Republicans, Democratic Caucus, Inc, Getty, California State Assembly, GOP, Democratic, Navy, Biden, NASA, onetime Virgin Galactic, District, California Republican, Republican, House Democrats, Democrat, Trump, Democratic Rep, Capitol Locations: California, Bakersfield, Golden, Los Angeles, Orange County, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Steel, Los Angeles County, Riverside County, Congress, Inland, Corona, Mike Johnson of Louisiana

☆ The Key to Winning the White House: Math
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Susan Milligan | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

So the Biden campaign is casting its eyes farther afield: South, to be specific, with North Carolina as a primary target and Florida part of the mix as well. That makes North Carolina and its 16 Electoral College votes a tantalizing prospect for the Biden campaign. But if the Democrat also picked up North Carolina, he'd win, 276 electoral votes to 262 for Trump. Biden and Harris also made a rare joint appearance in North Carolina earlier this week. Former President Barack Obama did win North Carolina in 2008 – but that was a somewhat fluky situation, says North Carolina Republican operative Jonathan Felts, who worked in the George W. Bush White House, noting Obama's unusually aggressive push in the state.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Donald Trump's, Biden, Christopher Cooper, Biden –, Cooper, Trump, –, he'd, Mark Robinson –, Kamala Harris, Harris, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Barack Obama, Jonathan Felts, George W, Bush, Felts, Carolina Forward Organizations: Electoral, Trump, Haire Institute for Public, Western Carolina University, Marist Institute, Public, Biden, Democrats, – Trump, Democrat, Sunshine, GOP, Democratic, North Carolina, North Carolina Republican, Carolina Locations: Arizona , Georgia, Michigan, Nevada , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Michigan , Pennsylvania, Swing States, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin , Nevada , Georgia, Trump . Florida, Parkland , Florida, Trump's, . North Carolina, Southern, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Winston, Salem, Asheville, Wake County

☆ A controversial Supreme Court decision could hurt Biden in November
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —A Supreme Court decision related to the election could determine the presidential victor this November, but it has nothing to do with former President Donald Trump. The study also said the “narrow” racial-turnout disparity that the high court heavily relied upon in its Shelby decision was based in part on the 2012 presidential election. Yet the study’s conclusion bolsters critics of the Shelby decision. They ignored it although they knew their decision would hurt Black voters, who tend to vote for the Democratic Party, he says. The bloody history behind the Voting Rights ActThe law was passed in 1965 after King led an epic voting rights campaign in Selma, Alabama.

Persons: CNN —, Donald Trump, Brennan, —, Holder, John Roberts, Barack Obama, Shelby, Jim Crow, Alabama —, Lawrence Goldstone, ” Goldstone, Sonia Sotomayor, Joe Biden, Shawn Thew, Biden, Goldstone, Black, George W, Bush, preclearance, “, ”, Elijah Nouvelage, Horace Cooper, Martin Luther King Jr, Cooper, “ That’s, Martin Luther King, that’s, ” Cooper, King, Edmund Pettus, Obama, Lyndon B, Johnson, Jr, Ralph Abernathy, Clarence Mitchell, Corbis, Roberts, Reagan, Brett Kavanaugh, tortuously, it’s, John Blake Organizations: CNN, Brennan Center for Justice, Supreme Court, Southern GOP, GOP, State of, Getty, Black, Democratic Party, George Mason University in, US Justice Department, Edmund, White, Congress, Black voters, North Carolina — Locations: Shelby, Southern, America, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, State, Washington, Alabama’s Shelby County, Atlanta , Georgia, AFP, George Mason University in Virginia, Selma , Alabama, White Alabama, “ Shelby

The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission asked the state Supreme Court to decide which maps should be used for any recall or special election that's held before November. At best, they said, any action by the court is premature because the question was not properly before the court. They also noted that no recall election has been ordered yet. The commission has until April 11 to determine whether a recall election should be called. They blamed the confusion over district boundaries on the liberal court majority that overturned the legislative maps and ordered new ones.

Persons: Donald Trump, Robin Vos, Joe Biden's, that's, Vos, it's, Tony Evers don’t, Annette Ziegler, Rebecca Bradley, “, ” Ziegler, Bradley, ” Organizations: Republican, Commission, Wisconsin Supreme, Democratic Gov, Conservative, WEC Locations: MADISON, Wis, Wisconsin, Racine County

☆ SCOTUS is hearing 2 cases about political censorship on social media that could change how the internet works forever
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It also created mechanisms for average users to sue social media companies if they believed the companies were unfairly applying their content moderation rules based on political leanings. Picture an empty timeline or your social media feed filled only with posts from companies paying to advertise on the platform. If these laws are permitted to stand, that's what the social media landscape could look like, at least until the sites update their business practices. And it might not stop at social media companies, Hurtwitz noted, due to the broad language in the laws. Advertisement"And what is social media?

Persons: SCOTUS, —, Donald Trump, Paxton, Ron DeSantis, Justin, Gus, Hurwitz, Hurtwitz, Uber, there's, Jared Carter, Carter, it's, John Roberts, — you've, Samuel Alito, Hurwiz Organizations: Service, Moody, Republican, GOP Gov, University of Pennsylvania's Center for Technology, Innovation, Competition, Lawyers, Ars Technica, Vermont Law, Graduate School, Cornell Law, CNN Locations: United States, South Carolina, Texas, Florida

☆ House GOP’s campaign boss sees Trump boost in pivotal swing districts
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Manu Raju | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

And so I think it’s a net positive.”Even if Trump is convicted of a felony, Hudson predicted it wouldn’t “have an impact” on his candidates in swing districts. There are a limited number of House districts truly at play in the 2024 elections – given many district lines are gerrymandered in a way to protect one party over the other. Democrats have their eyes set on the 17 Biden districts, which will take the race for the House from New York to California. A total of 170 Democrats voted against the legislation, accusing Republicans of exploiting the tragic death of a nursing student in order to score political points. “We’ve pretty much seen the Republicans, especially House Republicans, wait to hear from Trump in terms of deciding whether they even want to move legislation forward.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, Richard Hudson, “ He’s, Hudson, ”, “ I’ll, Suzan, ” DelBene, “ That’s, Mike Lawler –, –, I’m, Tom Kean Jr, North Carolina –, ” Hudson, “ We’re, “, Riley, Gabe Vasquez, Pat Ryan, Andrea Salinas, Val Hoyle, Oregon, Laken Riley, “ They’re, Roe, Wade, Dobbs, DelBene, … we’ve, Laurie Buckhout, Don Davis, Republican David Valadao –, Mark Harris, Mark Robinson, Harris, Robinson, ” CNN’s Melanie Zanona, Christine Park Organizations: CNN — House Republican, GOP, ”, North Carolina Republican, CNN, Biden, Trump, Republican, Democratic Congressional, “, House Republican Party, Alaska –, Democrats, House, National Republican Congressional Committee, Republicans, House GOP, PAC, Congressional, Fund, Democrat, energize Locations: Washington, New York, United States, New Jersey, Trump, California, Maine, Alaska, Michigan, Louisiana, Alabama, North Carolina, New Mexico, Andrea Salinas of Oregon, Biden’s State

CNN —President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump took big steps toward making their seemingly inevitable rematch official, as both notched huge Super Tuesday wins. Here are takeaways from Super Tuesday:Trump wins bigThe former president continued his run of dominance in the Republican nominating contest, despite losing one state, Vermont, to Nikki Haley. His approval ratings remain low, and the general election horse race polling is worrisome for Democrats. But on Super Tuesday, like every other primary day, he has dominated his few rivals – typically winning around 80% of the vote. “Tonight’s numbers showed that President Biden cannot earn back our votes with just rhetoric,” Vote Uncommitted MN spokesperson Asma Nizami said in a statement.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, “ uncommitted, Biden, suburbanites, Haley, Nikki Haley, CNN’s, there’s, ” Trump, Evan Vucci, Haley —, –, Marianne Williamson, Dean Phillips, who’s, Tapper, Warren, “, uncommitted ”, Uncommitted, Asma Nizami, ’, “ uncommitted ”, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, he’s, They’ve, South Carolina Sen, Lindsey Graham —, —, CNN’s Dana Bash, ”, Nikki, ” Graham, Graham, Haley’s, Mark Levin, She’s, — Biden, Jason Palmer, Palmer, hasn’t, Michael Bloomberg, ” Phillips, Biden’s, Mark Robinson, Josh Stein, Roy Cooper, Bill Graham, “ Mark Robinson, Laurie Buckhout’s, Don Davis, Sandy Smith, Smith, Dan Conston, Buckhout, Davis, Nathan L, Gonzales Organizations: CNN, Biden, Tuesday, Trump, Republican, —, AP, GOP, Trump . College, South Carolina, South Carolina Republican, News, American Samoa —, Democratic, Democratic National Convention, New York City, Minnesota Rep, Democratic Party loyalists, Gov, Democratic Gov, North Carolina Republicans, North, Republicans, Congressional, Fund, House GOP, Freedom Caucus, Capitol, Air Force Locations: Vermont, Lago, Palm Beach, Mar, Fla, Gaza, North Carolina, Virginia, Michigan, Israel, Minnesota, Ilhan Omar’s, Minneapolis, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Carolina, … Vermont, American Samoa, New York, Congress, Tarheel State, state’s, North Carolina’s, Washington

☆ Alabama Democrats Swarm to a Rare Chance to Increase Their Power
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Emily Cochrane | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Alabama’s congressional map last year as an illegal dilution of Black voting power, the decision set in motion a heated redistricting battle. Now, voters on Tuesday will head to the polls for the first time in a newly reshaped Second Congressional District, which was redrawn to give Black voters a fair opportunity to elect a representative of their choice. The shake-up has drawn a field of nearly two dozen candidates, underscoring the rare political opportunity on offer: a primary without an incumbent, and because Black voters historically favor Democrats, a suddenly competitive race in ruby-red Alabama.

Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Congressional, Black Locations: Alabama

☆ Van Jones: There’s hope and despair in what happened to my home state
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Van Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Many were shocked last year when the Tennessee legislature dramatically expelled state representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson. When I was a legislative intern, the state of Tennessee was controlled by the Democrats and my boss was a man named Jimmy Naifeh. But even in my Southern home state, no opponent tried to score cheap political points based on his Arab background. Left-leaning or moderate Tennesseeans have virtually no say in their state legislature on the political matters that govern their lives. Van Jones, with Justin Pearson and Justin Jones CNNSo even on issues like gun violence — on which a large majority of Tennesseans in both parties would like “red flag” laws — nothing gets done.

Persons: Anderson Cooper ”, Van Jones, Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, Gloria Johnson, Pearson, Jones, —, Jimmy Naifeh, I’m, won’t, Odessa Kelly, Kelly, Matthew Shoaf, Shoaf Organizations: CNN, GOP, Tennessee House, Tennessee Capitol, Tennessee, Democrats, Democratic Party, Tea Party, Republican, Justin Jones CNN, Odessa, Democratic, Congressional District, The, The Tennessee General Assembly Locations: Tennessee, Nashville, Lebanese, American, . Tennessee, Democratic, Tennessee’s, The Tennessee, Odessa, Sumner County

☆ Democrats Reject Bipartisan Map and Will Redraw N.Y. House Districts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Nicholas Fandos | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Democrats seized control over drawing New York’s congressional districts on Monday, rejecting a map proposed by the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission in favor of drafting new lines that could make key swing seats more Democratic. On a day of high drama inside the State Capitol in Albany, party leaders argued that the Senate and Assembly had no choice but to reject the commission map in lopsided votes because it improperly split counties, broke up naturally occurring communities and favored incumbents. But in private conversations, they made little effort to hide their true objective. The exact contours of the replacement districts remained to be seen Monday afternoon. State lawmakers were expected to release a draft of the replacement map as soon as Monday evening, teeing up a vote to approve it later this week.

Organizations: Democratic, Capitol, Assembly, Legislature, Republicans Locations: Albany, New York, Washington, Long Island, Syracuse

But it wasn’t until control of the state Supreme Court flipped in August after the election of liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz that Democrats found a winning formula. The court accepted maps from the governor, Democratic and Republican lawmakers, as well as three other parties to the redistricting lawsuit. Facing a mid-March deadline from the state elections commission for new maps to be in place, the Legislature on Tuesday passed the Evers maps. “Republicans were not stuck between a rock and hard place,” Republican state Sen. Van Wanggaard said in a statement. The Wisconsin Supreme Court also has been asked by Democrats to take up a challenge to the state’s congressional district lines.

Persons: Tony Evers, Janet Protasiewicz, Protasiewicz, Evers, ”, Robin Vos, Sen, Van Wanggaard Organizations: — Wisconsin Democratic Gov, Republicans, Democrats, Republican, GOP, Democratic, Consultants, Legislature, Gov, Senate, . House, Wisconsin Supreme Locations: MADISON, Wis, Wisconsin

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York’s bipartisan redistricting commission approved a new congressional map Thursday that makes modest changes to three competitive districts but does not substantially change the rest of the state's lines. New York's congressional redistricting process has been closely watched this year as suburban races in the state could have outsize influence on which party controls the House after the November elections. The redistricting commission was tasked with coming up with new districts after the state's highest court in December threw out the map used in the 2022 elections. The panel's new map plan leaves the most of the current congressional districts largely in place, a move that could help head off legal challenges against the proposal. The Independent Redistricting Commission was created under a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2014.

Persons: nix, Brandon Williams, Marc Molinaro, Pat Ryan, George Santos, Tom Suozzi, ”, Charles Nesbitt, ___ Izaguirre, Michael Hill Organizations: Democrat, Republicans, Republican Rep, New, Independent, Democrats, Associated Press Locations: ALBANY, N.Y, Syracuse, Auburn, Cortland, Woodstock, Molinaro's, Albany, New York City, Long, York, Lindenhurst , New York

☆ A Redistricting Surprise in New York: A Map That Plays Few Favorites
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Nicholas Fandos | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When New York’s top court ordered the state to redraw its congressional map late last year, the state’s ruling Democrats were widely expected to exploit the opening to aggressively reshape district lines in their favor. But on Thursday, a bipartisan state commission created to guide the redistricting process overwhelmingly approved a new proposed map that looks a lot like the current court-drawn map that helped Republicans pick up seats in 2022. The panel’s 9-to-1 vote now thrusts a politically and legally thorny choice on legislative leaders in Albany who have the final say on any plan. They can rubber-stamp the compromise, dashing the hopes of Representative Hakeem Jeffries and other powerful Democrats in Washington, or reject it and risk sending the whole process back to court by pushing for a more favorable alternative.

Persons: Hakeem Jeffries Organizations: Republicans Locations: Albany, Washington

Turnout tends to be lower, and holding an election during a February snowstorm doesn't make voting any more attractive. The fact that the seat in New York’s 3rd Congressional District was scandal-tainted by Santos means the GOP had an extra burden to motivate their voters. Republicans, meanwhile, tend to show up more on Election Day, and Nassau County Republicans have an unusually good turnout machine. Not only did Suozzi win the election, but he was winning in the Nassau County part of the district by 6 percentage points with 93% of the vote in. That margin would mark a massive shift from 2022, when Santos won the county by 10 percentage points over Democratic foe Robert Zimmerman.

Persons: George Santos, Santos, Tom Suozzi, Republican Mazi, Joe Biden's, Pilip, Donald Trump, weren't, Sen, Chris Murphy, Tom Bonior, Bonior, Robert Zimmerman, There's Organizations: Congressional, GOP, Republican, Republicans, Democratic Congressional, Biden, House Republicans, Senate, Democratic Locations: New York’s, New York, Connecticut, Snowplows, TargetSmart, Nassau, Nassau County, Blue America

(AP) — A divided Missouri Supreme Court upheld voting districts drawn for the state Senate on Wednesday, rejecting a legal challenge that claimed mapmakers should have placed a greater emphasis on keeping communities intact. The high court's 5-2 decision means the districts, first used in the 2022 elections, will remain in place both for this year's elections and ensuing ones. While a Republican Senate committee supported the Senate map enacted in 2022 by a panel of appeals court judges, a GOP House committee sided with Democratic-aligned voters suing for the districts to be overturned. The third prioritizes “contiguous” and “compact” districts, and the fourth requires communities to be kept whole in districts if possible under the equal population guidelines. The Supreme Court said a trial judge correctly decided that the constitution makes “compact” districts a higher priority than keeping communities intact.

Persons: Judge Kelly Broniec, Mike Parson's, Judge W, Brent Powell, Judge Paul Wilson, ” Powell, Chuck Hatfield, ” Hatfield, I’m, Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, ” Organizations: JEFFERSON CITY, Republicans, Republican, GOP, Democratic, Republican Gov, Pro Locations: Mo, Missouri, Buchanan, Louis, Hazelwood, ”

Democrat Tom Suozzi flipped a New York congressional seat blue Tuesday night, narrowing the GOP's already razor-thin majority in the House and boosting the spirits of Democrats fretting about President Joe Biden's strength in the fall elections. A centrist Democrat, Suozzi was seeking to get back the job he had before he left to run, unsuccessfully, for the gubernatorial nomination in 2022. Suozzi also faced an electorate unhappy with Biden in general and, in particular, the influx of immigrants over the border. A little-known Nassau County legislator, Pilip is a registered Democrat who was running on the Republican and Conservative Party lines. Democrats also scored a big win in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, retaining control of the state House with Jim Prokopiak's unexpectedly lopsided victory over Republican Candace Cabanas.

Persons: Tom Suozzi, Joe Biden's, Republican Mazi Pilip, ” Suozzi, ”, Biden, Donald Trump, Alejandro Mayorkas, impeaching, – Suozzi, Democratic Sen, Claire McCaskill, Suozzi, George Santos –, Santos, –, Grace Meng, Pilip, Jim Prokopiak's, Republican Candace Cabanas Organizations: Associated Press, Suozzi, Republican, Nassau, Nassau County Republican, Congressional, Republicans, Homeland, Democratic, MSNBC, Democrat, –, Democratic New York Rep, Conservative Party, Nassau County Republicans, Democrats Locations: York, Nassau County, Israel, Gaza, New, New York, impeaching Mayorkas, Pennsylvania

Special elections Tuesday could provide a high-stakes assessment of how suburban voters feel about the border, abortion rights, the two leading presidential candidates and whether the House of Representatives should be led by Democrats or Republicans. In another race, to fill a vacant seat in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Democrat Jim Prokopiak is in a close race against Republican Candace Cabanas. But it’s the New York race that has the attention of election-watchers because of its amplified importance in the closely divided House of Representatives. Should Democrats prevail in the toss-up election, they'll flip the seat held by Santos and give themselves some momentum heading into November. Pilip has cast Suozzi as weak on border security, a powerful issue in a state where migrants have been transported after coming over the southern border.

Persons: George Santos, Democrat Jim Prokopiak, Republican Candace Cabanas, Santos, Don Levy, Tom Suozzi, Mazi, Levy, Pilip, Suozzi, Bill Cunningham, Tom Bonier, Bonier, Cunningham, Joe Biden Organizations: Democrats, Voters, Republican, Assembly, Democrat, York, GOP, Siena College Research Institute, Democratic, Rep, Federal, Commission Locations: , New York, Pennsylvania, York, New York

☆ Why the race for the House is the one to watch in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Simone Pathe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

CNN —It won’t suck up anywhere near the oxygen of the presidential election, but the race for the US House of Representatives may be the most exciting campaign to watch in 2024. But in the House, Republicans’ shrinking majority has underscored the importance of the balance of power in Washington. House Republicans currently control 219 seats to Democrats’ 212, with four vacancies. Santos was expelled from the House last year, but he’s not absent from the race. Seats Republicans are targetingThe House GOP campaign arm releases a similar target list, which includes 37 offensive seats this year.

Persons: they’re, Democratic Sen, Joe Manchin’s, –, George Santos ’, Santos, he’s, Joe Biden, Biden, ”, “, Cam Savage, Nathan L, Gonzales, Nick LaLota, Anthony D’Esposito, Mike Lawler, Marc Molinaro, Brandon Williams, John Duarte, David Valadao, Mike Garcia, Young Kim, Michelle Steel, David Schweikert, Juan Ciscomani, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Tom Kean of, Lori Chavez, Brian Fitzpatrick, Jen Kiggans, Tom Suozzi, Donald Trump, Mary Peltola of, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Jared Golden of, Matt Cartwright of, Marcy Kaptur, Kaptur, Elissa Slotkin –, Dan Kildee, Kildee –, don’t, Dale Kildee, Abigail Spanberger, Susan Wild, Emilia Sykes, Yadira, there’s, There’s, Ron DeSantis, Savage, Ron Brownstein, Trump, he’ll, Suozzi, Achim Bergmann, Bergmann, Gavin Newsom, Kathy Hochul, Eric Adams, Roe, Wade, Meredith Kelly Organizations: CNN, US, Democratic, House, Washington . House Republicans, ’, GOP, Santos, PAC, House Democratic, Republican, Congressional, Fund, Blue States Project, Republicans, Biden, New, Democratic Congressional, National Republican, Washington . Rep, –, Democrats, Rep, Independent, GOP Gov, Trump, Democrat, White, California Gov, New York Gov, New York City Locations: West Virginia, Washington, New York, Tuesday’s, York, California, “ California, Republican, Blue States, Michigan, New Mexico , Colorado, North Carolina, Arizona, Tom Kean of New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Iowa, Arizona , Colorado , Montana , Nebraska , Oregon , Texas, Arizona , California, Florida , Michigan, Wisconsin, Mary Peltola of Alaska, Jared Golden of Maine, Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan’s 8th, –, Texas, Alabama, It’s, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, Charleston, Biden, Long, New

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