The Broome County Legislature, controlled by Republicans, will need to redraw its district maps after a judge tossed out the lines last week.
Democratic-backed plaintiffs challenged the maps adopted earlier this year, arguing they didn’t comply with a newly implemented state law. That statute requires that districts must not vary in population size by more than five percent, district to district. It also stipulates that towns that make up less than 40 percent of a county’s population not be split.
In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs argued that the implemented maps broke both of these rules.
The county defended the original maps, arguing that they created competitive seats, which superseded the legal statute.
“The decision appears to set aside other state requirements in favor of one provision. If we pursue an appeal, I'm hopeful the court will take into consideration all the required criteria,” Republican county Legislature Chairman Dan Reynolds wrote in a statement.
The judge hearing the case voided the map and returned it to the county Legislature to redraw in accordance with the state statutes.
"We think that by changing it, it will be a more level playing field,” John Perticone, the attorney for the plaintiffs, said.* “So in that respect, yes it would help the Democrats just being more of a level playing field. It's not going to advantage us to the detriment of the Republicans."
Perticone said he would’ve rather seen the court appoint an independent redistricting expert, or special master, to redraw the maps instead.
*Perticone is a partner at Levene Gouldin and Thompson, which is a WSKG underwriter.