The proposed 118th Assembly District

Southern and central St. Lawrence County would be grouped with communities nearly 200 miles away under a state redistricting plan unveiled Thursday.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has since vowed to veto the plan created by a panel jointly controlled by Democrats who hold a majority in the Assembly and the GOP who have a slight majority in the Senate.

Nonetheless, much of St. Lawrence County could lose its affiliation with similar communities in nearby Jefferson and Lewis counties and be represented by four instead of two Assemblymen once the redistricting is complete. Redistricting is required every ten years.

In what looks like a gerrymandered district, Madrid, Norfolk and Stockholm along with much of southern St. Lawrence County – but not Colton or Pitcairn -- would join the 118th Assembly District, composed of Hamilton and Fulton counties.

The distance between Madrid in St. Lawrence County and Johnstown in southern Fulton County is 178 miles.

Currently most of southern St. Lawrence County along with Madrid, Norfolk, Stockholm and Brasher are part of Assembly District 122, represented by Republican Ken Blankenbush. To view a map of that district, visit http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=122&sh=map

Under the redistricting proposal, Brasher, Lawrence, Hopkinton and Colton would join District 115, composed of Franklin and Clinton counties. Pitcairn would be the only St. Lawrence County to be part of District 117, made up of Lewis and southern Jefferson counties.

The 116th “River District,” composed of St. Lawrence County and Jefferson county communities along the St. Lawrence Seaway along with Canton and Potsdam, would be little changed. Democrat Addie Russell currently represents that district.

To view a map of the all proposed districts, visit http://www.latfor.state.ny.us/maps/?sec=prop2012a