Congressional Democrats’ H.R.1 bill to transform elections in the U.S. contains a provision mandating that each state create an “independent redistricting commission” to draw congressional maps. Meanwhile, Democrats in New York, under pressure from party leaders in Washington, are offering a case study in how to undermine such commissions.

New York established its 10-member commission in 2014 in the professed hope that it would lead to less partisan gamesmanship than legislative district-drawing. That was when a GOP-led coalition...

The New York State Capitol Building in Albany.

Photo: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg News

Congressional Democrats’ H.R.1 bill to transform elections in the U.S. contains a provision mandating that each state create an “independent redistricting commission” to draw congressional maps. Meanwhile, Democrats in New York, under pressure from party leaders in Washington, are offering a case study in how to undermine such commissions.

New York established its 10-member commission in 2014 in the professed hope that it would lead to less partisan gamesmanship than legislative district-drawing. That was when a GOP-led coalition controlled the state Senate thanks in part to a partisan stalemate over redistricting after the 2010 census.

Last week was the commission’s deadline to release a preliminary draft map for the next decade, but it failed, instead releasing one Republican- and one Democratic-favored map. According to commission vice-chair Jack Martins, a Republican, Democrats on the commission declined to meet before the deadline to come to a consensus map as the GOP side expected.

The press frames Republicans as the chief gerrymander offenders while claiming that Democrats want bipartisan district-drawing. Not in Albany, where Democrats now have full political power. They previously delayed the operations of the commission by blocking its funding. Democrats have also put a constitutional amendment on the ballot for this November that would reduce the influence of minority-party commissioners. If you haven’t read about this, that’s because most of the press ignores gerrymander gambits that entrench Democratic power.

The commission may come to an agreement in the coming months, but the failure to produce a consensus map last week suggests Democrats want to continue to kneecap the body. Washington Democrats believe gerrymandering New York is essential to Democratic hopes of holding control of the House of Representatives.

Democrats also want to design state legislative districts so the GOP has no chance to regain control of the state Senate. New Gov. Kathy Hochul said on her first day in office that she wants to help Democrats expand their House majority through redistricting.

Democrats have supermajorities in the state Legislature, so she is likely to get her wish. All of this is exposing the insincerity of the progressive redistricting-reform movement. It is showing the country that the left doesn’t practice what it preaches, especially in blue empire states like Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts and now New York. The goal is to cement one-party political power.

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