New York legislative and congressional district…
By Adam Kramer
Due to the population boom Queens experienced from 1990 to 2000 it was awarded two new state assembly seats for the November 2002 elections that expanded the borough’s constituency in Albany to 18 seats.
New York legislative and congressional district lines are changed every 10 years to accommodate population shifts throughout the state and are based on the latest census population numbers. Queens also added one state senate seat because of recent population growth in the borough to more than 2 million and the decline in the upstate population.
The state has eliminated two congressional seats for the 2002 elections. With seats allocated by population, New York state grew only by a rate of 5.5 percent, while the country grew at a rate of 13.2 percent, according to the 2000 Census figures.
To accommodate for the two new assembly districts — District 22 and District 39 — the existing state assembly seats were shifted. Some of the 16 old districts were dramatically reshaped, while other assembly districts were barely changed.
New Assembly District 22 covers the area centered around downtown Flushing and includes the communities of Queensboro Hill, Linden Hill and Murray Hill.
Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer’s (D-Rockaways) district remained largely intact. A section above Atlantic Avenue and a part of the district near Aqueduct Race Track were sliced off and a small section of Bayswater was added.
Assembly District 24, Assemblyman Mark Weprin’s (D-Bayside) coverage area, lost a section off of Utopia Parkway and a sliver of Auburndale. Part of Hollis Hill was added to the district.
State Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin’s (D-Flushing) district, which covered Flushing was elongated. Large sections of Flushing, Murray Hill and Auburndale were chopped off. Now the district stretches down to Richmond Hill.
The Bayside district of Assemblywoman Ann Margaret Carrozza (D-Bayside) was changed very slightly. A section of Auburndale was added and a section of Murray Hill was cut off.
Assembly District 27, Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn’s (D-Forest Hills) coverage area, lost a large section of Briarwood and Jamaica Hills. But a small section of Jamaica and Richmond Hill were added to the district.
District 28 was expanded into Middle Village, Glendale, Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill. Assemblyman Michael Cohn’s (D-Forest Hills) district lost a chunk of Rego Park and Forest Hills.
Assembly District 29 led by Assemblyman William Scarborough (D-St. Albans) gave up a few small sections west of Merrick Boulevard, but gained a section west of Francis Lewis Boulevard and Farmers Boulevard.
District 30, added a chunk of Glendale and a small piece of Hunters Point, but Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (D-Maspeth) lost a section of Woodside and a small piece of Maspeth.
Assemblywoman Michele Titus’ (D-Far Rockaway) District 31 had small sections in South Jamaica and Springfield Gardens removed in exchange for a different section in South Jamaica and a section of Brookville.
Assembly District 32 led by Assemblywoman Vivian Cook (D-South Ozone Park) gained a large swath of Springfield Gardens and Laurelton. But a large section of South Jamaica and Ozone Park was taken from the district.
The major change to Assemblywoman Barbara Clark’s (D-Queens Village) Queens Village district was the removal of the area of Murdock Avenue down to Dunkirk Street over to Liberty Avenue. Cunningham Heights — north of Hillside Avenue — was also eliminated from the district.
Assemblyman Ivan Lafayette’s (D-Jackson Heights) district was severely chopped up. District 24 lost major chunks of Elmhurst and Corona, but added more of Jackson Heights and a large section of Woodside.
There were not any major changes to Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubrion’s (D-Corona) district. Assembly District 35 gained and lost small sections of real estate in Corona and Elmhurst.
Assembly District 36, led by Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria), remained largely intact. Some small sections of the district in Long Island City were pared down and replaced by sections in Queensbridge and Ravenswood.
Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan’s (D-Ridgewood) coverage area — District 37 — was essentially unchanged, but lost a slight bit of Dutch Kills.
District 38, lost a big chunk of Glendale and Woodhaven, but Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio (D-Howard Beach) picked up a section of Ozone Park.
The second new assembly District in Queens — District 39 — follows Roosevelt Avenue from 69th Street in Woodside to 112th Street in Jackson Heights and covers parts of East Elmhurst and Corona.
Reach reporter Adam Kramer by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 157.
