I have described the Voting Rights Act as asymmetrical. As a practical matter, the law provides a bonus to Democrats, and penalizes Republicans. The VRA is no longer trying to stop actual racial discrimination. In most cases, the VRA operates in the South where Republican legislatures try to create as many Republican districts as possible. But the VRA has little impact in the North where Democratic legislatures try to create as many Democratic districts as possible.
Alas, enter Mark Elias.
The Eleventh Congressional District in New York covers Staten Island (my hometown) and parts of Brooklyn. The Eleventh District is represented by Nicole Malliotakis, the only Republican member in New York City.
