National

A court-appointed mapmaker on Saturday released the finalized version of New York's congressional maps, causing one congressman to jump several districts to avoid facing another incumbent.

Why it matters: The maps largely retain a key feature of the preliminary maps which had national Democrats in crisis mode this week: a slew of competitive districts that set the party back in its quest to keep the House.

Democrats in the state legislature proposed maps that would give them a shot at halving the number of GOP-held seats in the state, but a state appeals court struck down those maps and ordered new ones drawn by a special master.

Driving the news: Freshman Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), who represents the New York City suburbs, launched a bid for the newly vacant 10th district, which covers parts of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn and is far from where he currently serves. 

Jones, who is gay, pointed to the prominence of the LGBT community in the district, which includes the Stonewall Inn, in tweets announcing his bid.

"I’m excited to make my case for why I’m the right person to lead this district," he wrote. "I have worked hard to deliver real results for New York State."

The backdrop: Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), who leads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, announced a bid in a seat that is mostly comprised of Jones' current district.

That district includes Maloney's hometown, while Jones was drawn into Rep. Jamaal Bowman's (D-N.Y.) district. But the move, made immediately after the preliminary maps were published, drew fierce backlash from some Democrats.

Meanwhile, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who currently represents the 10th, was drawn into an upper Manhattan district with Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), a fellow longtime House member and committee chair.

Nadler's 30-year tenure has cultivated a crowded bench of prominent Democratic politicians in the district waiting in the wings.

The state of play: Jones joins an already crowded field of candidates that includes former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and state Sen. Brad Hoylman.

Others are likely to jump in soon: state Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, for instance, is scheduled to make a "major announcement ... about her electoral plans" on Saturday.

Final New York congressional maps fuel NYC free-for-all

Rep. Mondaire Jones announced plans to jump to a vacant NYC district.

Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.). Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

New York

A court-appointed mapmaker on Saturday released the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="finalized version of New York&#x27;s congressional maps" data-vars-click-url="https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=/lFG/XXdjY08ES/1iAco1A==" data-vars-content-id="9f2b7f4c-186e-484d-ba37-aa47e5d86a26" data-vars-headline="Final New York congressional maps fuel NYC free-for-all" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=/lFG/XXdjY08ES/1iAco1A==" target="_blank">finalized version of New York&#x27;s congressional maps</a>, causing one congressman to jump several districts to avoid facing another incumbent.Why it matters: The maps largely retain a key feature of the preliminary maps which had national Democrats in crisis mode this week: a slew of competitive districts that set the party back in its quest to keep the House.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

Pennsylvania state Rep. Summer Lee has emerged victorious in the Democratic primary for an open U.S. House seat in Pennsylvania, according to the Associated Press.

Why it matters: The result marks another win for progressives this week in a pitched nationwide battle with more establishment Democrats for ideological control of the party.

More accutely, it sets the stage for the progressive "Squad" in Congress to grow its ranks, and thus its power within the House Democratic Caucus.

Driving the news: As of Friday, Lee had 41.8% of the vote to establishment-backed attorney Steve Irwin's 41.1%, according to the Pennsylvania secretary of state.

The race was tight enough that votes had to be counted for three days after primary day before the election was called by the AP.

The backdrop: Lee, a supporter of progressive policy planks like Medicare-for-All and the Green New Deal, won her state House seat in 2018 with the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America, defeating a 20-year incumbent.

Irwin, a political newcomer, had the backing of Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), who's retirement left the Pittsburgh-based seat up for grabs.

Lee had endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the Congressional Progressive Caucus and several members of the Squad.

Big picture: This week's primaries in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, North Carolina, Idaho and Oregon were a mixed bag for progressives, but ultimately saw them come away with wins in several major contests.

The biggest win was Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman's more than 30-point clobbering of moderate Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.) in the state's U.S. Senate primary. 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)-backed Jamie McLeod-Skinner is also on track to unseat centrist Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) — a blow to President Biden, who gave Schrader one of his rare endorsements.

In House races in Kentucky and North Carolina, however, progressives fared  poorly, with progressive former North Carolina state Sen. Erica Smith losing to moderate state Sen. Don Davis by a more than 2-to-1 margin.

What's next: Lee is a clear favorite to win her general election, as her district voted for Biden in 2020 by 20 points.

The Squad is also poised to gain another potential member in Greg Casar, the Democratic nominee in a heavily Democratic district in Austin and San Antonio, Texas.

Another possible opportunity is in Texas' 28th district, where Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) progressive Jessica Cisneros faces centrist  in a runoff on Tuesday.

Summer Lee wins PA House primary in triumph for the Squad

Lee's win adds to several progressive victories in Tuesday's primaries

Pennsylvania state Rep. Summer Lee. Photo: Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images

2022 elections

Pennsylvania state Rep. Summer Lee has emerged victorious in the Democratic primary for an open U.S. House seat in Pennsylvania, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="according to the Associated Press" data-vars-click-url="https://twitter.com/AP_Politics/status/1527775144051200001?s=20&amp;t=7AkEmMcNatLuLOY3i54Imw" data-vars-content-id="9f99c742-6a8a-478a-8c95-c97cf6192553" data-vars-headline="Summer Lee wins PA House primary in triumph for the Squad" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://twitter.com/AP_Politics/status/1527775144051200001?s=20&amp;t=7AkEmMcNatLuLOY3i54Imw" target="_blank">according to the Associated Press</a>.Why it matters: The result marks another win for progressives this week in a pitched nationwide battle with more establishment Democrats for ideological control of the party.

Early redistricting wins for Democrats are collapsing across the map, deepening the party's fears of a rout in November's midterm elections.

What's happening: Courts struck down some of Dems' biggest gains, including in New York — where the GOP could win up to 11 total House seats in a red wave, according to the Cook Political Report's Dave Wasserman.

Party heavyweights — including House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and House Oversight Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) — will now be pitted against each other in contentious primaries. 

Republicans are licking their chops at a Florida map that could allow them to pick up an extra four seats.

The big picture: Dems were already at a huge disadvantage for the midterms — with bare congressional majorities, dismal approval ratings for President Biden, and historical trends favoring the party out of power.

Gerrymandering opportunities in New York, Maryland and Illinois — along with favorable court actions in Alabama, Ohio and Pennsylvania — had given Democrats some cause to celebrate.

That optimism is now unraveling: “The legal setbacks and losses Democrats have suffered in the last three months have been staggering,” Wasserman says.

Redistricting sausage-making in Jefferson City, Mo. Photo: David A. Lieb/AP

Zoom in: Democrats' original plans in New York could have knocked out half of the eight GOP-held seats and boosted the party's 19-member delegation to 22.

Instead, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y), chair of the House Democrats' campaign arm, will run in a district that includes his home — but is mostly represented by Black freshman Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.). Maloney's decision has angered many in the caucus.

In a twist, Jones will avoid that primary by running in a different redrawn district — facing off against former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, among others. 

The other side: National Republican Redistricting Trust president Adam Kincaid told Axios the outcomes have been "an improvement on the map that was struck down," but contends the map still "heavily favors Democrats." 

Zoom out: In Maryland, a state judge tossed a map that would have endangered the state's only House Republican, Rep. Andy Harris. In the approved map, Harris is safe and Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) is in a highly competitive district.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers managed to veto Republicans' maps in Wisconsin, but the court-approved maps submitted by Evers still favor the GOP.

Democrats also might have seen gerrymandering opportunities in Virginia and Colorado, but those states established independent redistricting commissions that focused more on competitiveness.

Between the lines: At the same time that some courts thought favorable to Democrats killed blue gerrymanders, Republican gerrymanders have managed to stand in other states — including Florida, Kansas, and Ohio.

Gov. Ron DeSantis' aggressive map in Florida is now seen as likely to stick, potentially allowing Republicans to pick up four extra seats.

A GOP-drawn gerrymander has survived in Kansas, despite a lower court ruling previously rejecting the map. Missouri also finalized its own maps heavily favoring Republicans.

In Ohio, GOP redistricting commissioners have essentially ignored repeated state Supreme Court orders to substantially redraw their gerrymandered maps, which could hand Republicans one extra seat while knocking out two Democrats.

Yes, but: If Democrats lose the House in November, it won't be purely because of redistricting. And some Democrats think they've managed to secure maps that could give them more opportunities to flip seats down the road.

"There's enough democratic DNA in the maps. There are enough competitive seats that we can win ... that we are still competitive for the decade," National Democratic Redistricting Committee president Kelly Ward Burton told Axios.

"That is different than what [Republicans] wanted. And it's different than last decade."

Plus, Democrats held onto favorable maps in Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon, and commissions worked in their favor in states like California and New Jersey. Courts also blocked GOP gerrymanders in the key states of North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Democrats' redistricting nightmare

The party was already at a huge disadvantage for the midterms.

Illustration of a United States map as a puzzle 

Redistricting

Top Stories

Early <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="redistricting wins for Democrats" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/02/04/democrats-redistricting-gerrymandering-census-elections" data-vars-content-id="c5a87cbe-29f6-454a-81d0-4f541f0415eb" data-vars-headline="Democrats&#x27; redistricting nightmare" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/02/04/democrats-redistricting-gerrymandering-census-elections" target="_self">redistricting wins for Democrats</a> are collapsing across the map, deepening the party&#x27;s fears of a rout in November&#x27;s midterm elections.What&#x27;s happening: Courts struck down some of Dems&#x27; biggest gains, including in New York — where the GOP could win up to 11 total House seats in a red wave, according to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Cook Political Report&#x27;s" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cookpolitical.com/" data-vars-content-id="c5a87cbe-29f6-454a-81d0-4f541f0415eb" data-vars-headline="Democrats&#x27; redistricting nightmare" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/" target="_blank">Cook Political Report&#x27;s</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Dave Wasserman" data-vars-click-url="https://twitter.com/Redistrict" data-vars-content-id="c5a87cbe-29f6-454a-81d0-4f541f0415eb" data-vars-headline="Democrats&#x27; redistricting nightmare" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://twitter.com/Redistrict" target="_blank">Dave Wasserman</a>.

The Jan. 6 select committee is requesting testimony from Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), the panel announced Thursday.

Why it matters: The request comes as the panel's members have become increasingly willing to seek information from their colleagues. They even went as far as to subpoena five House Republicans earlier this month.

The details: In a letter to Loudermilk, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the chair of the panel, wrote that Loudermilk has information regarding "a tour you led through parts of the Capitol complex on January 5, 2021," citing a review of evidence in the committee's possession.

"Public reporting and witness accounts indicate some individuals and groups engaged in efforts to gather information about the layout of the U.S. Capitol, as well as the House and Senate office buildings, in advance of January 6," Thompson continued.

Thompson also claimed the panel has evidence that "directly contradicts" claims by Republicans on the House Administration Committee, of which Loudermilk is a member, that a review of footage determined there were "no tours, no large groups, no one with MAGA hats on" leading up to Jan. 6.

The other side: "A constituent family with young children meeting with their Member of Congress in the House Office Buildings is not a suspicious group or 'reconnaissance tour,'" Loudermilk and Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, said in a statement.

They said the family never entered the building, accusing the Jan. 6 committee of "pushing a verifiably false narrative" and calling on the Capitol Police to "release the tapes."

They also highlighted an ethics complaint they filed last May against Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) and other House Democrats who made the allegations.

Loudermilk expanded in a video released Friday that he took a family with young children and a guest to lunch at a House cafeteria on Jan. 5, suggesting that the committee has taken an interest because “some were actually wearing red baseball caps.”

He argued the committee should have dealt with the matter privately. “If this committee wanted to know the truth about this, all they had to do was ask,” Loudermilk continued, asserting that they sent an “accusatory letter … insinuating [I] am some kind of evil conspirator.”

State of play: Loudermilk claimed he, his staff and family have since received “numerous disparaging messages and, yes, even threats of violence." He said law enforcement is now monitoring his offices, home and family. 

Catch up quick: Loudermilk was one of a majority of Georgia House Republicans to object to the election certification, saying later that he believed it was “the right thing to do.” 

Text messages released by CNN showed Loudermilk’s texts to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on January 6 saying: “It’s really bad up here on the hill. They have breached the Capitol…this doesn’t help our cause.”

Flashback: Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) faced an allegation in the aftermath of Jan. 6 that she gave a "large" tour in the run-up to the Capitol attack.

Boebert called the claim, made by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), "categorically false."

What's next: Thompson said they are seeking an interview on the week of May 23.

Loudermilk said Friday “They only want to destroy their political opponents. I’m not going to stand by and let that happen”

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from Reps. Davis and Loudermilk and a video from Loudermilk released on Friday. 

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Jan. 6 committee seeks info from GOP Rep. Loudermilk over Capitol tour

The request comes as the panel's members have become increasingly willing to seek information from their colleagues.

Jan. 6 select committee

The Jan. 6 select committee is requesting testimony from Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), the panel announced Thursday.Why it matters: The request comes as the panel&#x27;s members have become increasingly willing to seek information from their colleagues. They even went as far as to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="subpoena five House Republicans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/12/jan-6-panel-subpoenas-mccarthy-republicans" data-vars-content-id="e4594a39-7035-40fb-97a0-4621af58faf7" data-vars-headline="Jan. 6 committee seeks info from GOP Rep. Loudermilk over Capitol tour" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/12/jan-6-panel-subpoenas-mccarthy-republicans" target="_self">subpoena five House Republicans</a> earlier this month.

Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that he is running for Congress. 

Driving the news: De Blasio will run to represent New York's 10th Congressional District, which includes parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn. 

The backdrop: After the New York State Court of Appeals rejected a map drawn by Democrats in the state legislature aimed at maximizing the number of Democratic House seats, a court-appointed mapmaker drew new preliminary maps that were released Monday.

The maps made significant changes to districts in the name of competitiveness and compactness, including breaking up Rep. Jerrold Nadler's (D-N.Y.) district, which spans the West side of Manhattan and snakes down into Brooklyn.

In the new map, Nadler would be placed in a contest against Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), leaving a lower Manhattan-Brooklyn seat with no incumbent and a massive bench of Democrats waiting in the wings

The maps are set to be finalized on Friday, with potential changes being made based on public feedback.

The state of play: A massive array of Democrats in the new district has signaled interest in running in the 10th.

State Sen. Brad Hoylman, the only openly gay member of the New York State Senate, is the other major candidate currently running. 

What he's saying: "I'm ready right now to serve and address the issues that are so deep in communities in Brooklyn and Manhattan," de Blasio said on Morning Joe this morning.  

De Blasio served as mayor of New York from 2014 to 2021 and briefly ran for president in 2020 on a progressive platform. 

Former NYC mayor Bill de Blasio is running for Congress

De Blasio will be running for New York's 10th Congressional District, which includes parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Then Mayor Bill de Blasio speaking at the One Police Plaza in September of 2021. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Bill de Blasio

Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on MSNBC&#x27;s &quot;Morning Joe&quot; that he is running for Congress. Driving the news: De Blasio will run to represent New York&#x27;s 10th Congressional District, which includes parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

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Stories

Democrats' redistricting nightmare

Final New York congressional maps fuel NYC free-for-all

Summer Lee wins PA House primary in triumph for the Squad

Jan. 6 committee seeks info from GOP Rep. Loudermilk over Capitol tour

Former NYC mayor Bill de Blasio is running for Congress