Right, because winning 2 special elections in Republican leaning districts in upstate New York was a clear predictor of the Democrat's strong performance in 2010, and a clear repudiation of the Republican's opposition to both the Stimulus and Obamacare.
The only thing this election really means in the long run is that Democrats will probably lose both House seats in NY from this redistricting. And that some heads should roll in the NYGOP, but if that hasn't happened so far i doubt that this will provoke them into action.
Nah. Hochul has to move north to pick up the now unnecessary earmuffs. I actually think Slaughterhouse and Higgins get fairly compact districts this time around; there's little reason to give them much else. Hochul gets about what she has now.
What is likely to happen is that Higgins' district stays the same and Slaughter gets a district that is essentially all of Monroe County. Hochul will then get a district that is half of Erie and all of Niagara.
That, plus Genesee, Wyoming, and Orleans. The PVI here depends on how many of the Buffalo blacks Higgins takes, and if he drops Chataqua. Hochul will be in a Republican PVI district without any of those Buffalo blacks.
The old plan probably gave Higgins all of Buffalo and all of Niagara Falls while Lee got all the surrounding areas.