The victorious plaintiffs in Hoffmann v. New York State Independent Redistricting Commission, the New York redistricting case decided by the Court of Appeals on Dec. 12, are counting on new lines to help Democratic congressional candidates in next year’s election to make Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) Speaker of the House of Representatives. The calendar might interfere.

The court ordered the Independent Redistricting Commission to draw new districts to replace those created last year by a Pittsburgh-based special master appointed by a Steuben County Supreme Court Justice. This came about because the Court of Appeals (led by now-retired Chief Judge Janet DiFiore) had ruled that previously-drawn districts were unconstitutional (Harkenrider v. Hochul, 38 N.Y.3d 494 (2022)). The master’s lines allowed Republicans to capture several seats, which, in turn, gave the GOP a slim House majority.