70th District Assemblyman and New York County democratic leader Keith Wright is one of the most powerful Democrats in New York State. One would assume that this is a man who has more than enough influence and power to get the boundaries of his own assembly district drawn as he wishes. Yet perhaps conveniently, or perhaps as an oversight, the new district boundaries have been shifted eleven blocks south leaving Democratic District Leader Marisol Alcantara outside the district she was elected to.
The release of the 70th Assembly District map (PDF) by The New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR) has caused a large controversy and has placed Assemblyman Wright at the center of accusations that he is gerrymandering his district to favor a female district leader he can't control, nor has shown an interest in working with. Marisol Alcantara, whose grassroots campaign in 2011 ousted 18-year incumbent April Tyler, will no longer be able to retain her seat under the proposed map, which suspiciously leaves her out by one block.
To retain the seat of district leader one must reside in their assembly district. Alcantara lives on 141st Street and the new map skirts down to 140th Street for one avenue block. Her block. Almost as if someone had literally carved her out. The rumors suggest Assemblyman Wright was wielding the knife.
In an email to The Perez Notes, which reported on the rumors of Assemblyman Wright's gerrymandering this week, Mr. Wright said, "[this] is not true." Assemblyman Wright continued by telling The Perez Notes, "I spoke with Assemblyman Jack McEneny, the head of LATFOR, and told him of the issue and urged him to draw Ms. Alcantara back into the district." Mr. Wright's reaction to the proposed district's shaping is puzzling given his leverage in state politics. This response came only as a reaction to charges that he had a role in forcing Ms. Alcantara out of the district. Prior to The Perez Notes article he had not made his concerns about Ms. Alcantara's district leader seat public.
At the center of the rumors is Keith Wright's alleged behind the scenes influence to gerrymander the district intentionally so that April Tyler, the incumbent Marisol Alcantara replaced, could easily regain her seat. Keith Wright has long had an ally in April Tyler, and New York County Chair Wright's power during this highly politicized process may have been enough to ensure Ms. Tyler success in 2013, should he have been behind any gerrymandering.
Assemblyman Wright denies that gerrymandering was something he was involved in, and scolded The Perez Notes for reporting his alleged role in shoving out Ms. Alcantara, "Next time you decide to pursue a story about my perceived actions, I would hope to have the pleasure of at least speaking with you before they are published."
Mr. Wright is claiming that he is pushing for Ms. Alcantara's inclusion in the district she was elected to, yet his public comments on this issue have so far have been limited to a denial that he had a role in gerrymandering, and don't acknowledge his political influence, ability and power to get something this simple fixed in his home district.
UPDATE: (4/2/12)
The Uptown Current has been informed that Marisol Alcantara will retain her District Leader seat.
The lines have been drawn so that she will retain her District Leader seat without having to move. The lines were, apparently, redrawn due to the overwhelming pressure and outcry from Alcantara's constituents over the clearly gerrymandered maps.
