Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, whose district covers Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, has filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in an attempt to stay the decision to redraw the lines of her district.
The Manhattan Supreme Court’s decision last month to redraw the lines of New York’s 11th congressional district came after a lawsuit claimed its boundaries disenfranchised Black and Latino voters.
What You Need To Know
Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, whose district covers Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, has filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in an attempt to stay the decision to redraw the lines of her district
The Manhattan Supreme Court’s decision last month to redraw the lines of New York’s 11th congressional district came after a lawsuit claimed its boundaries disenfranchised Black and Latino voters
Malliotakis’ attorneys argued in the filing that there is no compelling interest to use race to fix the district, and the Supreme Court has ruled in the past that the Equal Protection Clause prohibits drawing districts based on race without sufficient justification
Malliotakis is currently the only Republican member of Congress in the five boroughs
The New York State Republican Elections Commissioner joined attorneys for Malliotakis in filing the emergency appeal.
“The decision by Justice Pearlman prevents any congressional election in the entire State of New York and will result in extreme disruption of the election process in our state. The decision is flawed on many bases, as the submissions to the Supreme Court of the United States make clear,” New York State Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox said in a statement.
The filing asks the Supreme Court for emergency relief by Feb. 23, the day before ballot petitioning starts. Judges at New York’s top court, the Court of Appeals, found they lacked jurisdiction for the case, so Malliotakis elevated it to the Supreme Court.
Malliotakis’ attorneys argued in the filing that there is no compelling interest to use race to fix the district, and the Supreme Court has ruled in the past that the Equal Protection Clause prohibits drawing districts based on race without sufficient justification.
The decision could have major implications on Congress’ political makeup as this year’s midterms get underway, with Republicans holding a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. Malliotakis is currently the only Republican member of Congress in the five boroughs.