Judge rules NYC 11th congressional district unconstitutional, orders redraw
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A judge ruled Wednesday that the makeup of New York City’s only congressional district represented by a Republican is unconstitutional, ordering the state to redraw the district by next month.
State Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Pearlman ruled that New York’s 11th Congressional District, which covers all of Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn, unconstitutionally diluted the votes of black and Hispanic residents. He ordered the Independent Redistricting Commission to complete a new map by Feb. 6.
The district is held by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-Y., who won her seat in 2020. He harshly criticized the decision in a statement Wednesday, calling it “a senseless attempt by Washington Democrats to steal this congressional seat from the people, and we are very confident that we will prevail at the end of the day.”
The district has trended Republican in recent elections; He voted for President Donald Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024 and supported GOP Senate candidates in 2022 and 2024 after previously supporting incumbent Democrats.
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Representative Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican from New York, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in New York, USA. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The lawsuit, filed by the law firm of Democratic attorney Marc Elias, argues that the current district weakens the voting power of Staten Island’s growing Black and Latino population and violates minority protections under the New York Voting Rights Act.
“We are pleased that the court correctly recognized that current district boundaries systematically dilute the votes of Black and Latino Staten Islanders, despite decades of demographic growth in these communities,” Elias Law Group Partner Aria Branch said. he said.
Branch added that the decision reaffirms that the New York Constitution “provides strong protections against racial vote dilution, and we are proud to stand with our clients to defend these rights.”
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The law firm of Democratic attorney Marc Elias argued in a lawsuit that New York’s 11th Congressional District undermined the voting power of Staten Island’s growing Black and Latino population by violating minority protections under the New York Voting Rights Act. (Screenshot/GIS)
In the ruling, the judge said there was strong evidence of a “racially polarized voting bloc” as well as “a history of discrimination that affects political participation and representation today” and that “racist appeals are still made in political campaigns today.”
Republicans are expected to object to the decision, escalating the national fight over congressional maps as both parties move to reshape districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Ed Cox, chairman of the New York State Republican Committee, criticized the decision as partisan, arguing that Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Democrats have a chance to flip the district in 2024.
“This entire exercise is a cynical attempt to enact an illegal partisan gerrymander under the guise of the voting rights cause,” Cox said in a statement. he said. “It is shocking that the Governor and Attorney General will not defend the law that the legislature passed and the Governor signed in 2024; they are clearly colluding with the plaintiffs in this case.”
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NY Governor Kathy Hochul speaks with Moms First CEO Reshma Saujani at the New York Economic Club luncheon on September 18, 2025 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
New York was forced to redraw congressional districts after the 2020 census, leading to a legal fight over maps used in the 2022 midterms. The Democrats’ initial map was struck down as unconstitutional, prompting the court to order an independent redrawing that would significantly reshape the districts. Although these maps were used in 2022, they were discarded and redrawn ahead of the 2024 elections.
Hochul welcomed the decision, saying the state Constitution guarantees fair representation.
“The court’s decision underscores the importance of these constitutional principles and directs the redrawing of the congressional map by the New York Independent Redistricting Commission to ensure that affected communities are fully represented and have a voice in our democracy,” he said in a statement.
Staten Island Republican Party Chairman Michael Tannousis reacted to the decision, calling it “a complete sham.”
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“They are trying to divide our community because they don’t like the way we vote,” he said in a statement. “This is fraudulent. It’s blatantly partisan and wrong.”
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
