Democratic New York officials and voters urged the Supreme Court in court filings Thursday not to intervene in a state court order requiring a new district for the Staten Island-based seat currently held by Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis.
The filings came in response to emergency appeals from Malliotakis and state officials last week, seeking to put the redistricting effort on hold. Malliotakis and other Republicans argued that the court ruling came too late, with just days before candidates start circulating nominating petitions on Feb. 24.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, along with Attorney General Letitia James, filed a brief urging the justices not to get involved in the ongoing state court case. Hochul’s brief argued that the justices should let the dispute play out in state court, which is best able to handle state election law disputes.
