By Hank Russell
Members of the Nassau County Democratic Committee were ecstatic when they learned a settlement has been reached regarding the redistricting of the Nassau legislative maps. They called the settlement a significant victory for democracy, and the people of Nassau County. Under the settlement, a new map will be established in which there will be six majority-minority districts — compared to four in the prior map — and an Asian Influence District.
The new districts will be as follows:
- District 1: Rockville Centre, Roosevelt, South Hempstead, portions of Baldwin, and portions of Hempstead
- District 2: Carle Place, New Cassel, Westbury, portions of Hempstead, portions of Uniondale, portions of Hicksville, and portions of Jericho
- District 3: Elmont, Lakeview, Bellerose, Bellerose Terrace, South Floral Park, Malverne Park Oaks, portions of Malverne, portions of Valley Stream, portions of North Valley Stream, portions of West Hempstead, and portions of Franklin Square
- District 4: Long Beach, Lido Beach, East Atlantic Beach, Island Park, Harbor Isle, Barnum Island, Point Lookout and portions of Oceanside
- District 5: Portions of Hempstead, portions of Uniondale, portions of West Hempstead, and portions of Franklin Square
- District 6: Freeport, portions of Baldwin, portions of Oceanside
- District 7: Atlantic Beach, Bay Park, Cedarhurst, East Rockaway, Hewlett, Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Harbor, Hewlett Neck, Inwood, Lawrence, Woodmere, Woodsburgh, portions of Oceanside, portions of South Valley Stream, and potions of Valley Stream
- District 8: Garden City, Garden City South, Stewart Manor, portions of Floral Park, portions of Franklin Square, portions of New Hyde Park, and portions of North New Hyde Park
- District 9: Mineola, East Williston, Garden City Park, Herricks, Manhasset Hills, North Hills, portions of Floral Park, portions of New Hyde Park, portions of North New Hyde Park, portions of Searingtown, and portions of Williston Park
- District 10: Albertson, Flower Hill, Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Gardens, Great Neck Plaza Harbor Hills, Kensington, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Munsey Park, Plandome, Plandome Heights, Plandome Manor, Roslyn Estates, Russell Gardens, Saddle Rock, Saddle Rock Estates, Thomaston, University Gardens, portions of Roslyn Heights, portions of Searingtown, and portions of Williston Park
- District 11: Baxter Estates, Glen Cove, Glenwood Landing, Manorhaven, Port Washington, Port Washington North, Roslyn Harbor, Sands Point, Sea Cliff, and portions of Glen Head
- District 12: Bellmore, Merrick, North Bellmore, North Merrick, and portions of Wantagh
- District 13: East Meadow, Salisbury, and portions of Levittown
- District 14: Lynbrook, North Lynbrook, potions of Valley Stream, portions of North Valley Stream, and portions of Malverne and portions of South Valley Stream
- District 15: North Wantagh, Seaford, portions of Levittown, and portions of Wantagh
- District 16: Farmingdale, Old Bethpage, Plainview, portions of Hicksville, portions of Jericho, portions of
- Syosset, and portions of Woodbury
- District 17: Bethpage, Plainedge, South Farmingdale, portions of Hicksville, and portions of North Massapequa
- District 18: Bayville, Brookville, Centre Island, Cove Neck, East Hills, East Norwich, Greenvale, Lattingtown, Laurel Hollow, Locust Valley, Matinecock, Mill Neck, Muttontown, Old Brookville, Old Westbury, Oyster Bay, Oyster Bay Cove, portions of Glen Head, and portions of Jericho
- District 19: East Massapequa, Massapequa, Massapequa Park, and portions of North Massapequa
The lawsuit, spearheaded by New York State and Nassau County Democratic Committee Chairman Jay S. Jacobs and Lakeview resident Hazel “Scottie” Coads, who was also a New York State Committee Member, and NAACP’s Chair of Civic Engagement in New York, was filed to challenge what they called the Republican Legislature’s illegal, politically gerrymandered map, which undermined the voting power of Nassau’s diverse communities. (Coads passed in 2023).
According to the lawsuit, the 2023 redistricting map — created and approved by the Republican majority in the Nassau County Legislature — intentionally favors the Republican Party and disfavors the Democratic Party, all but ensuring a permanent GOP majority through partisan advantages in a majority of the districts. The map does this by “packing” Democratic-leaning voters into two districts and by “cracking” Democratic-leaning concentrations across three other districts so as to dilute their voting strength. Many of the “packed” and “cracked” communities are communities of color.
Currently, there are 12 Republican legislators and six Democratic legislators. There were seven Democrats, but Siela Bynoe left her seat when she was voted New York State Senator. Bruce Blakeman, the county executive, is a Republican.
The Nassau Democrats contended that the illegal map was in violation of New York Voting Rights Act and the Municipal Home Rule Law, concentrating political power and diluting the voices of underrepresented communities. The settlement nullifies the illegal map and establishes fair legislative districts for the next decade.
“This is a tremendous victory for Nassau County,” said New York State and Nassau County Democratic Committee Chairman, Jay S. Jacobs. “Republican lawmakers drew a map to provide them political advantages while disenfranchising communities of color throughout the county. This outcome sends a clear message: attempts to undermine our democratic principles will not be tolerated. We remain committed to building a Nassau County where fair representation is at the forefront of our government.”
Dave L. Mejias, lead counsel representing the plaintiffs in the Coads case, who also served as Chairman of the Temporary Districting Advisory Commission, highlighted the importance of this settlement, stating, “The Republicans tried to rig legislative elections with a politically gerrymandered map. Chairman Jacobs initiated this lawsuit in July 2023 to fight the illegal map.”
In a statement to Long Island Life & Politics, Legislative Majority Leader Howard Kopel (R-Cedarhurst) said, “We agreed to a settlement that allows for competitive races that we intend and expect to win based on our message, that our priorities are in line with the values of the voters of Nassau County.”