Following the release Mondayof New York’s proposed new congressional district maps drawn by a court-ordered special master, Democratic Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney says he will file to run in the newly drawn 17th district, which includes Rockland, Westchester and Putnam Counties and a part of Dutchess County. Maloney has held what was the 18th district since 2013. He is also in charge of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s midterm election efforts.
Democratic Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan says he will run in the new 18th district, after exploring a run to replace current 19th district Congressman Antonio Delgado – the state’s lieutenant governor-designee. And Democratic State Senator James Skoufis says he is considering a run for the 18th district seat as well.
Republican state Assemblyman Colin Schmitt, who had been running to unseat Maloney, says he too will run in the new 18th district. Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican candidate in the 19th district, says he will continue running there.
If Ryan heads to Washington, Ulster County Comptroller March Gallagher says she would run for county executive. In a statement, Gallagher said Ryan would be an excellent congressman.
Capital Region Democratic Congressman Paul Tonko says he will run for re-election in the redrawn 20th district, but faulted the special master for removing his hometown of Amsterdam and Saratoga Springs from the 20th.
Good government group Common Cause says the new maps divide “communities of interest and neighborhoods” and ignores “the cores of the existing congressional districts.” The maps are being redrawn because the state’s highest court rejected lines drawn by majority Democrats in the state legislature after a bipartisan commission deadlocked.
New state Senate maps were also released Monday.
