The St. Lawrence County Democratic Committee Chair says that 48th District Sen. Patty Ritchie, has abandoned a campaign pledge to support non-partisan reapportionment of legislative districts.

Chair Mark Bellardini says that Ritchie, a Republican, “has fallen in line with New York State Senate Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos of Nassau County and broken her much publicized campaign promise to support non-partisan redistricting reform and end partisan gerrymandering.”

The 2010 Census is revealing population shifts that will require changing districts to reflect those shifts, as happens with every census each 10 years.

A notable feature of the election campaign in 2010 was the influence of former New York City Mayor Ed Koch’s “NY Uprising” web site, which solicited pledges from candidates for Senate and Assembly to support a non-partisan approach to drawing new district lines, as opposed to previous partisan efforts.

The website labeled those who accepted the pledge “Heroes of Reform,” and those who refused “Enemies of Reform.” Ritchie made the pledge, but Bellardini says that her resolve is broken.

Bellardini’s statement follows:

Ritchie Follows Lead of Downstate Republicans; Breaks Promise on Non-Partisan Redistricting

Senator Patty Ritchie (48th District) has fallen in line with New York State Senate Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos of Nassau County and broken her much publicized campaign promise to support non-partisan redistricting reform and end partisan gerrymandering. The reform pledge, a long awaited effort at good faith districting reform accomplished by placing redistricting under the control of an independent commission, was created by NY Uprising leader and former New York City Mayor Ed Koch and championed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

By reneging on her campaign promise, Senator Ritchie has supported the efforts of Albany insiders to draw wildly shaped districts that concentrate partisan majorities to entrench incumbents and prevent honest elections. Once touted as a “Hero” by NY Uprising, by swimming in the wake of downstate Republicans, Senator Ritchie has joined the ranks of New York’s “Enemies of Reform”. If Senator Ritchie has broken a key campaign pledge just three months into her term, than where else will she go back on her word at the behest of the Republican Party bosses in Albany?

As citizens of New York State, we must hold our leaders to the promises they made during the campaign season. The Republican majority should do right by the people of New York State and end the partisan districting that they have long touted as a corrupt tool of Albany insiders. If they truly support independent and non partisan control of redistricting instead of using their control over legislature to manipulate the process in their favor, than the State Senate Republicans will give up their control over the process.

Sincerely,

Mark Bellardini,

St. Lawrence County Democratic Committee Chair