Washington, DC – Today, Eric H. Holder, Jr., the 82nd Attorney General of the United States and chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), released the following statement in response to New York’s final congressional map adopted by the New York Supreme Court: 

“The final New York map contributes to, and does not shift away from, the fundamental truth of redistricting this cycle—that Republicans failed in their goal to gerrymander their way to a House majority, and as a result the United States House of Representatives—and many more state legislatures—will be competitive for the decade. Democrats finish redistricting in a fundamentally stronger position than last decade, and because of the larger number of fair maps in states around the country, more voters in this country will have the ability to determine the outcome of their elections than the last decade. This is not just a win for Democrats, much more importantly it is a win for our democracy.      

“It is also clear that the process leading to New York’s new congressional map was deeply flawed. From the initial breakdowns in the commission, to the location and remedial process in the courts, this effort ultimately did not do right by the voters of New York. Its failure underscores the need to ensure the state’s commission structure is truly independent, given a real chance to succeed and to provide clearer guidance if the commission is gridlocked. With a variety of successful commissions in place across the country, there are models for success that New York and other states can follow to reform their redistricting processes, including how to ensure communities of color are properly considered in both the redistricting process and in the maps themselves.”

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