New Congressional District Lines for Glen Head and Glenwood Landing

Thanks to a panel of federal judges, Glen Head and Glenwood Landing have been incorporated into a compact, contiguous congressional district, still known as New York State Congressional District 3, that respects the geographic integrity and cultural history of the area.

Nassau County and Suffolk County Congressional Districts ordered by Judges Reena Raggi and Gerard E. Lynch of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge Dora L. Irizarry of Federal District Court in Brooklyn based on the recommendations of Magistrate Judge Roanne L. Mann with assistance from Nathaniel Persily of Columbia Law School.

The new congressional district line begins in northeastern Queens and extends along the north shore through the Town of Huntington. The southern boundary stops roughly at the Long Island Expressway. Previously, New York State Congressional District 3 included sections of the north and south shores connected by a narrow corridor.

Congressional, assembly, and state senate lines are drawn by the New York State Legislature every 10 years based on the most recent census. In recent decades, many of these districts have assumed strange, irregular shapes that isolate communities with mutual histories and common interests, diluting their influence and making it more difficult for them to influence policy.

This year, the court stepped in to impose congressional district lines when the New York State Legislature was unable to conclude the process. The court-imposed map ignores the residences of incumbents, was completed in under three weeks, and has been praised by good government groups.

The New York State Legislature receives recommendations for how district lines should be drawn from the New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR). This winter, the Civic Council of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing attended a LATFOR meeting to express support for compact, contiguous districts that make geographic and historic sense. 

The new incumbent for New York State Congressional District 3 is Congressman Steve Israel, a Democrat. Glen Head and Glenwood Landing are currently represented by Congressman Peter King, a Republican.

The New York State Legislature approved new New York State Assembly and New York State Senate maps earlier in March. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed them into law as part of an agreement on a state constitutional amendment to reform the redistricting process after the next census in 2020. The New York State Assembly and New York State Senate lines affecting Glen Head and Glenwood Landing appear unchanged.