ALBANY, N.Y. — Editor's note: The video above was published on Jan. 31.
New York’s legislature has voted to pass new congressional district maps that will expand Democrats’ influence in New York politics for years to come.
The proposed maps would give the party an advantage in 22 of the state’s 26 congressional districts. Republicans currently hold eight of New York’s 27 seats in Congress.
Democratic leaders have defended the maps as addressing the reality of New York’s population shifts over the past decade.
But the maps will mean re-election trouble for several Republican members of the U.S. House.
2 On Your Side recently spoke with Chris Lee, who is an associate professor of political science at Niagara University.
"I didn't see anything that looked like egregious in it," Lee said. "I mean, of course, whenever redistricting occurs in any state usually the party, the majority party in the legislature tries to draw the lines so that it benefits them."
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