GOP Asks Supreme Court to Block New York Redistricting of Republican-Held Seat
New York Republicans are escalating a high-stakes redistricting battle to the nation’s highest court, filing an emergency petition with the U.S. Supreme Court to block a state ruling that could erase the only Republican-held congressional seat in the state ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
At issue is New York’s 11th Congressional District, currently represented by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. A Manhattan judge recently ruled that the district’s current boundaries unconstitutionally dilute minority voting strength and must be redrawn — a decision Republicans argue threatens electoral stability and raises serious constitutional concerns.
GOP Warns of Election Chaos
In their filing to the Supreme Court of the United States, Malliotakis and Republican members of the state elections board contend that imposing new district lines just weeks before nominating petitions begin on February 24 would upend the electoral process.
“Applicants and the people of New York have the right to conduct their congressional elections under the lawful map that the New York Legislature adopted starting on February 24, free from a judicial mandate that violates multiple provisions of the United States Constitution,” the congresswoman said in her petition to the justices.
Republicans argue that the state court’s order overrides the legislature’s authority and risks injecting race-based considerations into the redistricting process in ways that conflict with federal constitutional principles.
Lawsuit Claims Minority Vote Dilution
The legal challenge began when four Staten Island residents sued, alleging that the current configuration of NY-11 — encompassing Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn — diluted the voting power of Black and Hispanic voters in violation of the New York State Constitution.
A trial court sided with the plaintiffs and directed the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw the district by early February.
Malliotakis’ emergency appeal argues that the lower court’s directive may impermissibly prioritize race in drawing congressional lines and exceeds the judiciary’s proper role, effectively rewriting maps without legislative authorization.
Democratic legal advocates have dismissed the Supreme Court appeal as premature, insisting that state appellate courts should first resolve the dispute.
Part of a National Redistricting War
The New York case is the latest flashpoint in a broader national struggle over congressional maps as both parties maneuver ahead of the 2026 elections. Control of the U.S. House is expected to be fiercely contested, making redistricting battles decisive in shaping the political landscape.
The Supreme Court has already been drawn into similar disputes in recent years, including cases involving maps in Texas and California.
Meanwhile, in Virginia, a court recently halted a Democrat-led redistricting push that critics described as an aggressive mid-decade power grab.
Earlier this month, Jack Hurley Jr. of Tazewell Circuit Court struck down an effort by the Democrat-controlled Virginia General Assembly to authorize new congressional maps before 2026.
Hurley ruled that lawmakers violated procedural safeguards embedded in the state constitution, including failing to properly include the amendment in the special session agenda, neglecting to approve it before the previous general election, and failing to publish required public notice.
“The legislature cannot ignore its own constitutional obligations in the name of expediency,” Hurley wrote.
The decision ensured that Virginia’s 2026 elections will proceed under the post-2020 Census maps rather than newly drawn districts that Democrats hoped would secure control of 10 of the state’s 11 House seats — despite nearly half of Virginia voters backing President Donald J. Trump in 2024.
Constitutional Stakes Ahead of 2026
For New York Republicans, the emergency appeal represents more than a fight over a single district. It is a test of whether courts can mandate sweeping redistricting changes on the eve of an election cycle — and whether race can become the dominant factor in reshaping congressional lines.
With nominating petitions set to begin within days, the Supreme Court’s response could determine whether New York voters head into the 2026 midterms under existing maps or newly imposed boundaries.
As litigation intensifies nationwide, redistricting is emerging as one of the central battlegrounds of President Trump’s second term — a contest not only over seats in Congress, but over the balance of power between legislatures, courts, and the Constitution itself.