SCOTUS Blocks New York Dems Attempt to Redraw Congressional Map
The U.S. Supreme Court handed Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis a significant victory Monday, blocking an effort to redraw her Staten Island-based congressional district ahead of the midterm elections.
The high court intervened after Malliotakis challenged a January ruling from a New York state judge that ordered the state’s redistricting commission to overhaul the boundaries of the 11th Congressional District. The congresswoman argued the decision amounted to a racially motivated gerrymander that would disrupt elections and tilt the seat toward Democrats.
“Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to keep New York’s 11th Congressional District intact helps restore the public’s confidence in our judicial system and proves the challenge to our district lines was always meritless,” Malliotakis said in a statement.
“The plaintiffs in this case attempted to manipulate our state’s courts to use race as a weapon to rig our elections. That was wrong and, as demonstrated by today’s ruling, clearly unconstitutional,” she added.
New York’s 11th District covers all of Staten Island and portions of southern Brooklyn and is currently the only Republican-held congressional seat in New York City. Democrats had targeted the district as a potential pickup opportunity in the upcoming election cycle, and the proposed redraw was expected to make the seat more competitive.
The initial ruling ordering the district to be redrawn came from New York Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Pearlman, an appointee of Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. Pearlman concluded that the existing map diluted the voting strength of Black and Latino residents and directed the state’s redistricting commission to redraw the district.
Malliotakis challenged the decision, warning the order would create confusion and disrupt election preparations just months before the midterms.
In a written opinion, Justice Samuel Alito said the state court’s order mandating a redraw “blatantly discriminates on the basis of race.”
The court’s liberal justices dissented. Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued the Supreme Court was improperly intervening in a state election matter close to an election.
“Time and again, this court has said that federal courts should not meddle with state election laws ahead of an election,” Sotomayor wrote. “Today, the court says: except for this one, except for this one, and except for this one.”
The decision represents a setback for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats who have pushed for mid-cycle redistricting efforts in blue states as a counterweight to Republican-led map changes elsewhere.
The ruling also revives debate over redistricting battles unfolding nationwide ahead of the November elections. Courts in multiple states — including Missouri, Florida, Utah, Wisconsin and Virginia — are weighing lawsuits that could alter congressional maps just months before voters head to the polls.
New York Democrats have already faced scrutiny over congressional maps in recent years. In 2022, state courts struck down a Hochul-backed redistricting plan, ruling that it was drawn with an “impermissible partisan purpose.”
Malliotakis, the daughter of Cuban and Greek immigrants who first won election to Congress in 2020 after defeating a Democratic incumbent, framed the Supreme Court’s decision as protecting voters from political interference.
“Unfortunately, the politicization of New York’s courts and its judges necessitated action from the nation’s highest court,” she said. “I thank the justices who stopped the voters on Staten Island and in Southern Brooklyn from being stripped of their ability to elect a representative who reflects their values.”
The district remains strongly Republican. The Cook Political Report currently rates the seat “Solid Republican,” and President Donald Trump carried the district by roughly 24 percentage points in the 2024 election.
Malliotakis currently faces no primary challenger ahead of the June 23 Republican primary. On the Democratic side, Michael DeCillis, Troy McGhie and Umar Usman are competing for the nomination to challenge her in November.
The Supreme Court’s intervention ensures that the current district lines will remain in place for the upcoming election cycle, preserving one of the GOP’s key footholds in New York City as broader redistricting battles continue across the country.
Thune Breaks With Trump, Backs Cornyn After Paxton Endorsement
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday he will continue supporting Sen. John Cornyn despite President Donald Trump endorsing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in one of the most closely watched Republican Senate primaries of the 2026 cycle.
Speaking to reporters following Trump’s endorsement announcement, Thune praised Cornyn as “a principled conservative” and an “effective senator” for Texas, signaling a rare split between Senate Republican leadership and the president.
“Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas,” Thune said.
“None of us can control what the president does. That doesn’t change the way I feel. I will continue to be supportive of Senator Cornyn in his re-election,” Thune added.
The comments came just hours after Trump formally endorsed Paxton on Truth Social, delivering a major boost to the Texas attorney general as he seeks to unseat Cornyn in the Republican runoff election.
In his endorsement, Trump criticized Cornyn for insufficient loyalty during politically difficult periods of his presidency.
“Ken Paxton has been a warrior for Texas values and for our America First agenda,” Trump wrote. He added that Cornyn “was not supportive of me when times were tough.”
The endorsement immediately intensified an already bitter and nationally significant Republican primary battle that has exposed growing tensions inside the GOP between establishment Senate Republicans and Trump-aligned populists.
Early voting in the runoff began Monday and continues through Friday, with Election Day set for May 26.
Despite the internal divisions, Thune expressed confidence Republicans would retain control of the Senate in November.
“I’m very confident we’ll hang on — and maybe even expand the majority of the United States Senate,” Thune said.
Republicans currently hold a six-seat Senate majority. Democrats would need a net gain of four seats to retake control of the chamber.
Several races, including contests in Maine, Michigan, and North Carolina, are currently viewed as highly competitive.
The Texas race has become particularly important because Democrats believe a bruising Republican runoff could weaken the eventual GOP nominee heading into the general election against Democratic candidate James Talarico.
Recent polling has suggested an unusually competitive general election environment in Texas. One survey released Monday reportedly showed both Cornyn and Paxton running roughly even with Talarico in hypothetical head-to-head matchups.
That possibility has alarmed some Republicans, particularly moderates concerned that Paxton’s legal controversies and polarizing political image could jeopardize a seat long considered safely Republican.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski openly criticized Trump’s endorsement Tuesday, warning it could backfire politically.
“I was supremely disappointed,” Murkowski said. “How does that help strengthen the president’s hand when we lose a state like Texas?”
Paxton has remained a dominant figure among Texas conservatives despite years of legal and political controversies, including securities fraud charges that were later resolved and an impeachment battle in the Texas legislature from which he was ultimately acquitted by the state Senate.
Trump allies have framed the race as a test of loyalty to the president and the broader America First movement, while Cornyn supporters argue the longtime senator offers stability, fundraising strength, and legislative experience critical for maintaining Republican control of the Senate.
Cornyn, who has served in the Senate since 2002 and previously chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has longstanding ties to GOP leadership and donor networks in Washington. But critics on the right have increasingly portrayed him as part of the party establishment out of step with the Republican base.
Paxton has sought to capitalize on that frustration, presenting himself as a fighter aligned more closely with Trump’s populist agenda on immigration, election integrity, and federal power.
The runoff has also become a broader proxy battle over the future direction of Senate Republicans after Trump’s sweeping victories reshaped the party.
