Judge Finds NYC’s Only GOP House District Unconstitutional, Orders It Be Redrawn

The decision is a major win for Democrats, who could vie for an additional seat in the upcoming 2026 midterms.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) speaks to reporters in Washington on Jan. 8, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

A New York judge is ordering a Republican-held U.S. House district be redrawn, calling its configuration unconstitutional in a Wednesday ruling.

The decision is a major win for Democrats, who could vie for an additional seat in the House as 2026 midterms approach. New York’s 11th Congressional District is represented by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), the city’s only Republican district.

Acting state Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Pearlman ordered the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission to configure a new map by Feb. 6, urging against any further elections under the current map. The redrawing will ultimately be sent to the Democratic-controlled state legislature for approval.

Four New York voters filed a lawsuit in October 2025, alleging the 11th district dilutes black and latino voters within its boundaries and violated the state’s constitution.

The area includes Staten Island and part of southern Brooklyn.

“Black and Latino Staten Islanders have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to elect a representative of their choice and influence elections in New York’s 11th Congressional District,” the plaintiffs claimed.

President Donald Trump won the congressional district in the 2024 presidential election by more than 24 points, according to The Downballot’s data.

The New York voters that sued over the map were represented by the Elias Law Group, who praised the judge’s decision.

“This ruling reaffirms that New York’s Constitution provides robust protections against racial vote dilution, and we are proud to have stood with our clients to vindicate those rights,” Elias Law Group said in a statement.

New York Republican Chair Ed Cox described the ruling as a disgrace in a statement sent to The Epoch Times.

“This was a partisan ruling made by a partisan judge in a case brought by a notoriously partisan attorney,” Cox said.

The GOP chair said New York Governor Kathy Hochul did not alter the congressional map in 2024 when she had the chance to, accusing her and New York Attorney General Letitia James of colluding with plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

“This entire exercise is a cynical attempt to enact an illegal partisan gerrymander under the guise of a voting rights case,” Cox said in the statement. “It is shocking that the Governor and Attorney General did not defend the law that the legislature passed and the Governor signed in 2024.”

Hochul signed the new congressional map into law in February 2024 after it passed the state Senate in a 45–17 vote and the Assembly 150–33, which was largely along partisan lines. The map left 24 of the state’s 26 districts mostly intact and even garnered support from Democrat lawmakers at the time.

“The state Legislature has adopted a bipartisan congressional map that more meaningfully delivers the type of fair representation that the people of New York State deserve,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a February 2024 statement about the signing of the new map.

“The map reunites several communities of interest, reduces the number of counties, towns, and villages that re-split, and promotes compact congressional districts.”

The Epoch Times reached out to Malliotakis for comment on the judge’s Wednesday ruling.