Jan. 22 (UPI) -- A New York court judge has ordered the state to redraw its congressional map, striking down a Republican district and potentially giving the Democratic Party an advantage in securing an additional seat in the upcoming midterm elections.
Justice Jeffrey Pearlman of the Supreme Court of the State of New York issued his ruling Wednesday, declaring New York's 11th Congressional District unconstitutional as it unlawfully diluted the voting power of Black and Latino voters.
"It is clear to the Court that the current district lines of CD-11 are a contributing factor in the lack of representation for minority voters," Pearlman wrote in his 18-page order.
"Petitioners have shown strong evidence of racially polarized voting bloc, ... they have demonstrated a history of discrimination that impacts current-day political participation and representation and they have shown that racial appeals are still made in political campaigns today. Taken together, these circumstances provide strong support for the claim that Black and Latino votes are being diluted in the current CD-11."
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