Statement on Redistricting

The Amherst Democratic Committee stands in opposition to the NYIRC’s proposed New York State Assembly map which divides the Town of Amherst into two separate districts. This is a nakedly partisan attempt to dilute the power of the fourth-largest upstate municipality in the Assembly.

The Town of Amherst has a population of 125,000-130,000 residents. On the weekends, the Town of Amherst is a destination for residents of Western New York and Southern Ontario to shop.

Under the standards of the New York State Constitution, the Town of Amherst is a contiguous territory and is as compact as practically possible. As a result, we are entitled to have one Assembly member advocate for our needs as a municipality.

The map as proposed violates the prohibition on drawing lines to discourage competition and for the purpose of favoring or disfavoring incumbents. Republicans realize that the demographics of the Town of Amherst have changed from solidly Republican to solidly Democratic over the last ten years. They cannot beat Assemblymember Karen McMahon at the ballot box, so they are seeking to defeat her by shutting her (and the residents who have voted for her) out of office.

The proposed map dividing the Town of Amherst into two separate districts is a shameless partisan attempt to dilute the voting power of the Town of Amherst, and to ensure that the Town will not have adequate representation in Albany. We therefore ask that the 146th District have the entire Town of Amherst within its boundaries.