Huntington would become part of the Second Congressional District under a draft plan issued Monday by the special master appointed to draw up new lines after Democratic maps were tossed out as gerrrymandering.
The proposed Second District would have a north-south orientation, incorporating Huntington, Babylon and most of Islip, and a small piece of Nassau County. It would eliminate the Democrats’ plan to elongate the Third from east of Huntington to the town of Rye, in a so-called Long Island Sound district.
The First District, currently held by Lee Zeldin, who is running for governor, would cover a large geographical portion of Suffolk County.
Final plans for congressional districts and State Senate districts are scheduled for court review on Friday and are subject to further change.The public has until Wednesday to comment. State Senate maps are due to be released Monday evening.
It was not immediately clear which candidates would remain in the district under the new map. Many of the Democratic candidates reside in Nassau, not Suffolk County, and so can remain candidates in the Third District under the new proposed maps.
And one by one, candidates weighed in, declaring their intention to remain in the race for the Third district.
Democrat Jon Kaiman, a Nassau resident, said on Twitter, “Given the new maps today, I am proud to continue running for Congress in New York’s 3rd Congressional District. I am taking the fight to Washington, and will never stop working on behalf of residents in my district. We will keep NY03 blue in November.”
Melanie D’Arrigo,a Nassau resident who is running for what is the Third Congressional District seat, said, “Let me be clear: This is our district to win.I am the only progressive in this race, the only organizer in this race, and the only grassroots-powered candidate in the race. Already, we have built a powerful coalition of support centering the issues that matter most to our community: Medicare for All, reproductive justice, and an economy and democracy that works for working families, not corporations. I look forward to continuing my fight for real representation in NY-03—and together, we will win.”
Democrat Robert Zimmerman said, “Regardless of the map, the issues that brought me into this race remain of vital importance to our communities. If the map proposed today is adopted, I plan to run in New York’s 3rd District. We will win a Democratic primary and deliver a victory in November for the people of Nassau and Queens.”
George Santos, a Republican candidate, will continue his candidacy in the Third.
State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, whose home district is the Bronx/Westchester, had declared for the Third, but it was not clear if she would remain in the race under the redistricting plans.
Under U.S. Constitution, Article I, section 2, clause 2, a member of Congress is required to live in the state, but district residency is not mentioned.