Two New York state senators who represent Central New York could see their districts combined into one under a plan proposed Wednesday by a state commission that will draw new legislative districts.
Sens. Rachel May, D-Syracuse, and John Mannion, D-Geddes, would have to face each other in a Democratic primary next year if the proposal from the commission’s Republicans is approved.
Republicans on NY's Independent Redistricting Commission proposed this plan to combine the districts of state Sens. Rachel May and John Mannion. The Democrats currently represent separate districts in Central New York.
Such a scenario is unlikely because any redistricting plans must be approved by the Democratic-controlled state Legislature.
The New York Independent Redistricting Commission voted Wednesday to advance competing draft maps for all of the state’s seats in Congress, the state Senate and Assembly.
The commission had been established to take politics out of the process and come up with a single map for every legislative district in the state. But Republicans and Democrats serving on the 10-member panel couldn’t reach a consensus.
The maps that re-draw legislative district boundaries must be updated every 10 years to reflect changes in population.
A draft map proposed by Democrats on the commission would keep May’s 53rd Senate District seat separate from Mannion’s 50th Senate District seat. Mannion won the Senate seat last year, becoming the first Democrat in about 50 years to win the district.
But the GOP plan would combine both districts into one, stretching from Auburn through Onondaga County into Syracuse’s eastern suburbs.
More on redistricting
Draft plan would merge districts of GOP Reps. John Katko, Claudia Tenney
New York will lose a seat in Congress after 2020 Census shows flat population growth
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