New York Times (9/14/21) on Possible Democratic Near-Wipeout of Republicans (NEW YORK)

The New York Times reports today on the likelihood of  New York's governor and state legislature -- all in Democratic hands -- redrawing the state's U.S. House district lines to give their party a big gain (h/t Political Wire). The Empire State currently has 27 seats, which the Democrats already dominate 19-8. 

New York will lose one of these seats, leaving the possibility that Democrats will attempt a 23-3 map, thus reducing the GOP delegation by five seats. Aggressive, yes, but, as the Times article notes, not unlike what the Republicans will likely do in Texas, Florida, and Georgia.

Making the New York situation more controversial, however, is that the state had established a redistricting commission in 2014, which the legislature and governor seem poised to overrule. Notes the article: "Though the [state] Constitution gives the commission the first shot at drawing maps, lawmakers in Albany have broad leeway to disregard the panel’s work and create their own."

I'll close this brief entry with a piece of historical trivia: As recently as the early 1950s, New York had 45 seats in the U.S. House. In most of the decades since, the state lost two or three seats, but really took a hit in the 1980 Census, shedding five seats!