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An upstate judge upheld the newly drawn New York Assembly district maps, ruling Wednesday that there wasn’t enough time to change them before scheduled June primaries.

Judge Patrick McAllister of Steuben County is overseeing the redrawing of congressional maps and state Senate maps after they were struck down as unlawful.

But McAllister rejected an eleventh-hour bid to order the redrawing of the New York Assembly district lines as untimely. New York Young Republican leader Gavin Wax and Albany area activist Gary Greenberg sought to intervene in the case to try to have the new Assembly maps thrown out as well.

“Their motion to intervene is denied,” McAllister said.

But he said there is nothing that stops Wax and Greenberg from filing a separate lawsuit independent of the current redistricting case.

In his original ruling on March 31, McAllister struck down the redrawn Assembly lines as illegal on procedural grounds as well because lawmakers failed to abide by a 2014 law involving a redistricting panel in preparing them.


  The judge on Wednesday rejected an eleventh-hour bid to order the redrawing of the New York Assembly district lines. Redistricting Partners The judge on Wednesday rejected an eleventh-hour bid to order the redrawing of the New York Assembly district lines. Redistricting Partners

But the Republican plaintiffs in the case never questioned the Assembly lines and therefore those maps were not part of the case.

The judge said the new House and state Senate maps have to be redrawn by May 20 in order to meet all procedural and ballot requirements to hold primary elections on Aug. 23.

McAllister said allowing the intervention to redo the Assembly maps would blow up the whole timetable and jeopardize the ability to hold the congressional and Senate primaries in a lawful manner.

The Assembly primaries are scheduled to be held on June 28.

The state’s top court — the Court of Appeals — struck down the congressional and Senate seats as unconstitutional.

In a 4-3 decision, the court struck down the Democrat-drawn congressional lines for illegal partisan gerrymandering. Critics called it the “Hochulmander” because Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the law.

The Senate maps were also struck down on procedural grounds.

Wax called the ruling a “pyrrhic victory for the establishment.”

Greenberg said he was reviewing the decision.


  Critics called the push to redraw congressional lines the “Hochulmander” given Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the law. Hans Pennink Critics called the push to redraw congressional lines the “Hochulmander” given Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the law. Hans Pennink
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