A New York state judge ruled the congressional district represented by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) is unconstitutional and ordered the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission to create a new map before the 2026 midterm elections. New York’s 11th Congressional District covers Staten Island and a small section of Brooklyn. Acting New York state Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Pearlman ordered the commission to draw a new map by February 6th. “Pearlman sided with Democratic lawyers who said the lines of U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ district unlawfully diluted the voices of Black and Latino voters in Staten Island,” Gothamist reports. Malliotakis is the lone House Republican to represent a district in New York City. A judge tossed the boundaries for the only New York City Congressional seat to be held by a Republican – Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. Find out how the GOP responded: https://t.co/X0OJFDAug9 pic.twitter.com/oPmRahCmhf — PIX11 News (@PIX11News) January 22, 2026 Gothamist has more: The plaintiffs in the case are voters from Staten Island and Lower Manhattan, part of the nearby 10th Congressional District, who have said they’ve been disenfranchised. They are represented in the case by the law firm of Marc Elias, who has brought election and redistricting cases on behalf of Democrats around the country. Other groups, including the NAACP New York State Conference, joined the case. Chris Alexander, the organization’s executive director, said the ruling was a victory for fair representation. “This decision affirms what the New York Constitution requires: district lines cannot be drawn in a way that locks communities out of political power,” Alexander said. “We urge the Independent Redistricting Commission to act swiftly to deliver a map that reflects Staten Island’s lived reality and gives every voter a fair chance to be heard.” Republicans, including Malliotakis, sought to dismiss the case. They argue that the current map was drawn by a prescribed process and subject to multiple rounds of litigation. In a statement, Malliotakis said she was reviewing the judge’s decision and considering what options would “protect the voices of people of Staten Island and Brooklyn.” “Despite having a voter registration advantage in New York’s 11th Congressional District, Democrats can’t beat me on merit, policy and debate. So what do they do? They file a meritless lawsuit claiming our district disenfranchises minorities to take out the first minority to represent the district and steal our seat,” Malliotakis said. “We will not allow them, or a judge who previously served as chief of staff for Kathy Hochul, to silence the voters of our district. We will use every legal option at our disposal, including an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, to protect the voices of the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn and we are very confident that we will prevail at the end of the day,” she continued. Despite having a voter registration advantage in New York’s 11th Congressional District, Democrats can’t beat me on merit, policy and debate. So what do they do? They file a meritless lawsuit claiming our district disenfranchises minorities to take out the first minority to… pic.twitter.com/QsP4swEqUu — Nicole Malliotakis (@NMalliotakis) January 22, 2026 “We are reviewing the judge’s decision and our options to protect the voices of the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn. Nothing changes the fact that this is a frivolous attempt by Washington Democrats to steal this congressional seat from the people and we are very confident that we will prevail at the end of the day,” her office stated. We are reviewing the judge’s decision and our options to protect the voices of the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn. Nothing changes the fact that this is a frivolous attempt by Washington Democrats to steal this congressional seat from the people and we are very confident… pic.twitter.com/LKE92P3uJQ — Rep. Nicole Malliotakis Office (@RepNicole) January 22, 2026 The Hill shared further: The congressional district, which includes Staten Island and some of southern Brooklyn, handily went for President Trump in 2024 by more than 24 points, according to The Downballot. A new House map, however, could offer Democrats a strong opportunity to add a pickup opportunity in the House. While the Independent Redistricting Commission is tasked with drawing the maps, they’re ultimately subject to approval from the Democratic-controlled state legislature. Elias Law Group, which was involved in the lawsuit challenging the New York House map, celebrated Pearlman’s decision in a statement, hailing it as a “victory” for all voters in the district. “We are pleased that the court correctly recognized that the current district lines have systematically diluted the votes of Black and Latino Staten Islanders, despite decades of demographic growth in those communities,” Aria Branch, a partner at Elias Law Group, said in a statement. “This ruling reaffirms that New York’s Constitution provides robust protections against racial vote dilution, and we are proud to have stood with our clients to vindicate those rights.” Meanwhile, New York GOP chair Ed Cox in a statement slammed the decision as a “partisan ruling made by a partisan judge in a case brought by a notoriously partisan attorney.” Cox was referring to Pearlman’s previous times representing or working for Hochul and New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D), according to City & State New York.