Staten Island’s congressional district must be redrawn before the 2026 midterm elections after a federal court declared the current boundaries unconstitutional, a ruling that could dramatically alter the political landscape across New York City’s outer boroughs.
The three-judge panel found that New York’s 11th Congressional District, which encompasses all of Staten Island and a slice of southern Brooklyn, violates the constitutional principle of equal representation by containing significantly fewer residents than other districts in the state. The decision marks the latest chapter in New York’s redistricting battles that have roiled the state’s politics and government since the 2020 census.
“The population deviation in NY-11 cannot be justified under any standard of constitutional review,” the court wrote in its 47-page decision. “The district must be redrawn to ensure equal representation for all New Yorkers.”
The ruling affects roughly 776,000 residents currently represented by Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who flipped the traditionally Democratic seat in 2020 and held it through a competitive 2024 race. The redistricting could split Staten Island between multiple districts or expand the current boundaries deeper into Brooklyn, potentially altering the electoral math in one of New York City’s most politically divided areas.
New York’s congressional delegation already faces significant shifts following the 2024 elections, and this court-ordered redistricting adds another layer of uncertainty for the state’s federal representation. The Empire State lost one House seat after the 2020 census, and several districts have faced legal challenges over population imbalances and partisan gerrymandering claims.
The Staten Island case originated from a lawsuit filed by voting rights advocates who argued that NY-11’s population of approximately 717,000 residents falls well below the state average of 778,000 per district. Under federal law, congressional districts within a state must contain roughly equal populations to ensure each vote carries the same weight.
“This decision validates what we’ve argued from the beginning – that New York cannot shortchange any community when it comes to representation in Congress,” said Maria Rodriguez, executive director of Common Cause New York, one of the groups that brought the lawsuit.
The court’s timeline requires the New York State Legislature to submit new district maps by April 15, 2026, with final approval needed by June 1 to allow sufficient time for the November midterm elections. If lawmakers fail to meet the deadline, the court indicated it would appoint a special master to draw the boundaries.
The redistricting process will likely reignite debates over Staten Island’s unique political identity within heavily Democratic New York City. The borough has consistently voted more conservatively than the rest of the city, supporting Republican candidates in federal and statewide races even as Democrats dominate local politics elsewhere.
Rep. Malliotakis’s office said the congresswoman would work to ensure Staten Island maintains strong representation regardless of the new boundaries. “The people of Staten Island and southern Brooklyn deserve effective advocacy in Washington, and that won’t change based on lines on a map,” a spokesperson said.
The decision could also impact Brooklyn’s congressional representation, depending on how mapmakers address the population imbalance. Brooklyn’s delegation includes some of the most progressive members of Congress, and any boundary changes could affect the political dynamics within the borough’s districts.
Good government groups have praised the ruling as a victory for fair representation, noting that population deviations undermine the democratic principle of one person, one vote. The case builds on previous successful challenges to New York’s redistricting process, including earlier court rulings that forced redistricting over anti-gerrymandering concerns.
“Every New Yorker’s vote should count equally, whether they live in Staten Island, Manhattan, or anywhere else in the state,” said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York. “This court decision ensures that principle will be upheld.”
The redistricting will take place against the backdrop of the 2026 midterm elections, which historically favor the party out of power in Washington. Republicans currently hold a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, making every competitive seat crucial for both parties’ strategies.
New York Democrats, who control the state legislature, face the challenge of redrawing the district while navigating both legal requirements and political realities. The party has faced criticism in previous redistricting cycles for maps that were struck down by courts as overly partisan.
The Staten Island ruling represents part of a broader national trend of courts intervening in redistricting disputes. Federal and state judges have ordered map changes in multiple states following the 2020 census, as voting rights groups and political parties challenge boundaries they view as unconstitutional or illegally partisan.
For Staten Island residents, the redistricting could mean sharing representation with different Brooklyn neighborhoods or seeing their borough divided between multiple House districts for the first time in decades. Community leaders on both sides of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge are already beginning to assess how potential boundary changes might affect their federal representation.
The court’s decision cannot be appealed directly to the Supreme Court, as three-judge federal panels hear redistricting cases under expedited procedures designed to resolve electoral disputes quickly. However, the ultimate map drawn by the legislature or a special master could face additional legal challenges if parties believe it fails to meet constitutional standards.
State legislative leaders have not yet commented on their redistricting strategy, but the tight timeline means the process will likely begin within weeks. The April deadline gives lawmakers roughly 15 months to navigate the complex political and legal considerations involved in redrawing congressional boundaries that could determine the balance of power in Washington.
