New York judge approves new maps for August primaries

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Democrats in New York will face new challenges from Republicans and be drawn into interparty battles under new redistricting maps released late Friday.

A rural judge approved the maps that will replace earlier maps that courts found violated the state's Constitution and set political district boundaries in New York over the next decade, giving Democrats less of an edge in their quest for control of the U.S. House than they originally hoped.

But they set up battles between Democrats like U.S. Reps. Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney, and an open battle for the newly drawn 10th Congressional District that extends from Manhattan to the Orthodox Jewish community in Borough Park.

U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones, who currently represents New York’s 17th congressional district, said he'd run in the 10th Congressional District instead in a crowded field against competitors including former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The maps produced by the court’s outside expert, Jonathan Cervas, are more favorable to Republicans and more competitive than previous maps drawn by the Democratically-controlled state Legislature, which were thrown out by an appeals court.

Cervas said he considered thousands of comments, but said some ideas to keep certain racial, ethnic or geographic communities together would have had ripple effects forcing dramatic changes elsewhere that could pose constitutional issues.

But he made some changes sought by critics: Cervas said he had inadvertently proposed splitting Black communities in Brooklyn and would reverse that move. U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, of Brooklyn, had blasted Cervas' original proposal.

Under the redistricting process that occurs every 10 years, New York is set to lose one of its 27 congressional districts, eight of which...