‘Stay’ on NYS redistricting maps extended to April 20

The redistricting fight in New York continues after a judge from upstate New York threw out the Democrat-created maps and passed congressional and legislative maps deeming them illegal because they favored Democrats due to gerrymandering.

Democrats asked for a stay for the current maps, but the back and forth will continue as the maps make their way through the court system. The stay has been extended to April 20 by Justice Stephen K. Lindley of the Appellate Division. On April 20, lawyers for both parties will be presenting to a panel of appeals judges. Republican candidates on Long Island are continuing their campaigns with the Democrat-drawn districts, including State Sen. Alexis Weik, who earlier this week announced that she accepted the Republican and Conservative Party nominations for New York’s 4th Senate District after Republican Phil Boyle announced he would not be seeking reelection. Weik, who is from Sayville, had her hometown moved into the 4th Senate District after the Democrat-led redistricting process.

“Today, I proudly accepted the Republican and Conservative Party nominations to run in New York’s 4th State Senate District,” Weik said in a statement. “It is an honor and privilege to follow in the footsteps of Sen. Phil Boyle, who represented this area for decades and who has served as a trusted friend and mentor to me during my first term in the Senate. I will campaign hard for the privilege of representing the South Shore communities from Bayport to Massapequa and, while I have represented large areas of the district during my current term and while serving as an elected official in the Town of Islip prior to that, I look forward to meeting and listening to those residents in areas that will be new to me due to redistricting.”

Running for the 3rd New York State Senate District on the Republican and Conservative lines, Weik’s former district, will be former New York State assemblyman Dean Murray. Running on the Democratic line will be former New York State Sen. Monica Martinez. Martinez lost reelection in the 3rd District to Weik in 2020.