While Westchester County gained enough residents in the 2020 Census to top the 1 Million mark, New York State’s population did not increase enough in comparison to the largest growing states like Texas and Florida. That means that NY will lose one of its 27 seats in the House of Representatives, to 26.
And because New York City’s population increased to 8.8 Million, and upstate NY’s population continued to shrink, democrats have an opportunity to take over some or most of the 8 house republicans from New York.
Dave Wasserman, from the Cook Political report, perhaps knows more about redistricting than anyone, told Fox News that “I think New York could turn into a bloodbath for Republicans. Democrats could convert the existing 19-8 delegation into a 23-3 delegation through redistricting alone.”
One of the upstate NY republican house seats is likely to be eliminated, resulting in all of the remaining 26 house seats in NY being redrawn.
Under the possible scenario’s laid out by Wasserman, here in Westchester, the three democratic congressmembers will also have different districts. Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney will still have a small part of northern Westchester in the 18th district.
Congressman Mondaire Jones’ 17th District will no longer include Rockland County but will now include more of Westchester County.
Congressman Jamaal Bowman’s 16th District will now run north from Yonkers up into Rockland and further north into Orange County. The possibility of losing the Bronx portion of his district, and now having less of Westchester and all of Rockland and Orange Counties resulted in Rep. Bowman, tweeting WTF, which was deleted almost immediately.
The big takeaway, and possibility for Westchester is that Congresswoman Alexandra-Ocasio Cortez, AOC, and her 14th District, may now include parts of Westchester County. According to Wasserman, and his proposed map, AOC would lose the Queens portion of her district, but would keep the Bronx and NY-14 would run into Southern Westchester, and include the City of New Rochelle, and the Town of Eastchester.
“Tbh, (to be honest) the only way a Dem gerrymander of Upstate NY would work would be for #NY14 AOC, #NY16 Bowman and #NY17 Jones to absorb heavily GOP parts of Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Dutchess counties (while still keeping overwhelmingly safe Dem seats). We’ll see,” tweeted Wasserman.
The republican majority Town of Eastchester would now be represented by AOC, and create an interesting dynamic between one of the more outspoken progressive democrats in the county representing a Town led by Eastchester Supervisor Anthony Colavita, one of the longest serving republicans in Westchester.
Bronxville would also be represented by AOC, as would New Rochelle. Both of those communities have democratic leadership.
AOC’s possible representation of Westchester is also interesting because she graduated from a Westchester High School. Sandy Cortez, as she was known when she attended Yorktown High School and graduated in 2007. AOC has refused to acknowledge this fact, which we have written about in the past, and have suggested a narrative for her to talk about it.
“I went to a high school in the suburbs that every American child should have the right to attend. That is what I’m fighting for in Congress, educational equality, which we clearly don’t have. My family saved enough money to buy a small home in northern Westchester. This is the story of hard work and living the American Dream. I am so happy that they sacrificed for me but far too many young Americans and people of color have substandard schools and get a substandard education.” This is what AOC should have said.
Perhaps now that AOC could be representing Westchester in January of 2023 if she is re-elected, she could embrace the education she received at Yorktown High School, and perhaps pay a visit. She would be welcomed with open arms!
