As set out in the Constitution of New York State, new congressional districts should not be drawn to divide communities of interest, to prioritize the security of incumbents, or to concentrate voters of each party into exclusive enclaves. Unfortunately, the lines adopted by the Independent Redistricting Commission on February 15 have the effect of doing exactly those things in most districts.
These proposed lines will result once again in huge, uncompetitive congressional districts across much of upstate that promote extremism and leave members of the smaller party with representatives completely unsympathetic to their concerns. Even those of the majority party end up represented by someone who may have to travel 4 hours or more just to visit their communities, as exclusively rural districts must cover 14 and 15 counties to amass enough population. Regrettably, counties are often fragmented into separate districts, as well.
The proposed districts seem designed to avoid competitive elections, which does a disservice to us all. We, the Officers and Board Members of the Democratic Rural Conference of New York State, urge the Legislature to reject the maps submitted by the Independent Redistricting Commission.
The Democratic Rural Conference of New York State represents Democrats in 47 of New York’s 62 counties, those with populations smaller than 250,000 people.
| Officers | Board Members |
| Judith Hunter Chair Livingston County |
Margaret Bartley Essex County |
| Timothy Perfetti Executive Vice Chair Cortland County |
Keith Batman Cayuga County |
| John Hurley Treasurer Ontario County |
Jeanne Crane Orleans County |
| William Thickstun Secretary Oneida County |
Kimberly Davis Clinton County |
| Darlene Baker Parliamentarian Oswego County |
William Hughes Columbia County |
| Ronald McDougal Northern Vice Chair St. Lawrence County |
James Mills Putnam County |
| Michael Monescalchi Catskill/Hudson Vice Chair Rensselaer County |
Michael Plitt Genesee County |
| Liz Moran Central Vice Chair Madison County |
Thomas Schimmerling Delaware County |
| Cynthia Appleton Western Vice Chair Wyoming County |
Ted Young Seneca County |