Several progressive Democrats who recently secured victories in New York City congressional primaries may face an uncertain future in Congress even before taking office, as state leaders prepare for a potential redrawing of congressional district lines that could dramatically reshape the political landscape ahead of the 2028 elections.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is expected to push for new congressional maps in New York that could create additional Democratic-leaning districts. Any changes, however, could also alter the boundaries of seats represented by some of the party’s newest progressive nominees, potentially forcing them into more competitive territory.

Before any redistricting can occur, New York voters must approve a constitutional amendment that would permit the state to redraw its congressional map.

A congressional map proposed in 2022 offers a glimpse of how future changes could affect several districts. Under that proposal, former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander’s district would be merged into an area that includes Republican-leaning Staten Island, while Assemblywoman Claire Valdez would lose much of the northern section of her current district.

“There will be new lines in 2028 and, generally speaking, the newer members are the most at risk,” Chris Coffey, CEO of Tusk Strategies, told Politico.

Not everyone believes redrawing the districts would weaken the Democratic Socialists of America. Gustavo Gordillo, co-chair of the organization’s New York City chapter, argued that altering districts represented by Lander or Valdez could actually benefit the group’s broader political ambitions.

“Claire Valdez is already basically a packed DSA district, so if they change that district very much, it suddenly makes any neighboring district easier terrain for us. I think that also goes for NY-10 as well,” he said, referencing Lander’s district.

“I’m curious to see how they navigate that.”

Jeffries has not publicly outlined exactly how he would redraw New York’s congressional boundaries, but he has repeatedly argued that Democrats should use redistricting to offset Republican-led map changes in other states.

“Leader Jeffries is focused on passing the constitutional amendment to ensure New York has a fair and competitive congressional map that can help stop the nationwide MAGA power grab in places like Florida and Texas, and create additional opportunities to elect House Democrats in 2028 and beyond,” spokesperson Justin Chermol said in a statement to Politico.

Any revised congressional map would require cooperation among Jeffries, the New York State Democratic Party, and the Democrat-controlled state Legislature. However, recent elections have shifted both the State Senate and Assembly further to the left, adding another layer of complexity to the process.

“I don’t know about anyone else, but the Senate is not interested in using redistricting to take sides in a civil war,” state Sen. Michael Gianaris, D-Astoria, told Politico.

{Matzav.com}