Dear Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins:

We are concerned about the continued presence of Westchester Deputy Executive Ken Jenkins on the Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) once his boss, County Executive George Latimer, entered the congressional Democratic primary for CD16.

We believe it is imperative that the upcoming redistricting of New York’s congressional maps be transparent, fair, and beyond reproach. Mr. Latimer appointed Mr. Jenkins to be his second-in- command in 2018 and the two have worked closely for six years. Mr. Jenkins’ dual roles – as chair of the redistricting commission and deputy to Mr. Latimer – taints the redistricting process.

The boundaries of CD16, at least initially drawn by the IRC, will obviously impact the outcome of this particular primary and will work to the advantage of one or the other candidate. Mr. Latimer admitted as much in a December interview with City & State, stating that if the district is redrawn to include more of the Bronx and less of Westchester, he is “not gonna win that race.” In an interview with Gothamist, he admitted that he and Jenkins have spoken about the redistricting “a couple times.”

Such a clear conflict of interest will inevitably make the redistricting process appear unethical and unfair. With our democracy in an alarmingly fragile state, the suspicion of improper influence must not be added to the already fraught NYS redistricting process.

Ken Jenkins should not be in the position of having input on the boundaries of the district in which his boss is running for office. He should immediately step down from the committee. We urge you to ask him to do this without delay, as the redrawn maps are due for submission within weeks.