Joe Crowley is one of two New York Democrats who have hired lobbyists, aides say. | MICHAEL SCHWARTZ/POLITICO Lobbyists join redistricting in N.Y.

Here’s how you know the redistricting fight could get ugly in New York: Members of its congressional delegation have started hiring lobbyists to protect their turf.

POLITICO has learned that Democratic Reps. Joe Crowley, the Queens County party chairman who also holds a leadership position on the party’s congressional campaign committee, and Brian Higgins, from the Buffalo-based district, have both signed lobbyists to oversee their interests in the decennial remapping process, aides confirmed.


Sources close to two female Democratic House members, Long Island-based Carolyn McCarthy and Westchester-based Nita Lowey, said they too are considering hiring lobbyists — as are several other members whose aides asked that they not be identified while they weigh their options.

The machinations provide an insight into the bare-knuckle world of redistricting, in which even powerful members of Congress feel threatened enough to bring in hired guns to safeguard their seats.

In Crowley’s case, he signed Brian Meara, a longtime lobbyist with ties to the state Assembly’s powerful Democratic leader, Sheldon Silver, sources confirmed. One potential issue of concern for Crowley: A corner of his district is in a heavily Hispanic area of the Bronx, which could ultimately leave him vulnerable to a primary challenge from a Latino candidate.

Higgins hired the firm of Patricia Lynch, a former Silver aide who has also been one of Albany’s most prominent lobbyists.

A Higgins spokeswoman said, “Congressman Higgins served in the state Legislature with Paul Tokasz, a longtime Western New York legislator and former Assembly majority leader who is now a partner with [Patricia Lynch Associates]. Paul has a long history of service to western New York and understands what is at stake for western New York in redistricting.”

“The congressman and Mr. Tokasz will be working all-out to ensure that western New York maintains its voice in Congress,” she added.

This isn’t the first time the congressional delegation — which is set to lose two seats thanks to reapportionment — has seen fit to bring in hired help. A decade ago, when the state was also dealing with a two-seat loss, various members brought in the lobbying cavalry to ensure not only that their seats survived intact but that they were drawn to an acceptable degree.

During the 2001 redistricting process, Lynch worked for Democratic Rep. Maurice Hinchey, and Meara was on the payroll of Long Island-based Democrat Gary Ackerman.

Aides to Ackerman didn’t respond to requests for comment about whether he has hired someone this time around. An aide to Hinchey couldn’t be reached.

“This is not a new practice,” New York-based Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf said. “Especially in states where population has dropped, getting the right messenger to the real decision maker can determine whether you’re still a member of Congress.”

Indeed, the practice of hiring help to protect political interests during redistricting has occurred in past redistricting rounds in other large states, including California. There, most of the state’s Democratic House incumbents paid $20,000 each to the brother of Rep. Howard Berman for redistricting consulting.

“Twenty thousand is nothing to keep your seat,” Rep. Loretta Sanchez told The Orange County Register in 2001. “I spend $2 million [campaigning] every election. If my colleagues are smart, they’ll pay their $20,000 and Michael [Berman] will draw the district they can win in. Those who have refused to pay? God help them.”

Mark Braden, an attorney who has worked for the Republican National Committee and who also serves as a lawyer for GOP state legislative caucuses on issues such as redistricting, questioned whether the practice is particularly effective — especially when it’s not yet clear exactly what the population numbers will be.

“It’s always the joke about people in state legislatures, talking about how they’re popular every 10 years with members of Congress,” Braden said. “I think that’s probably correct, that it’s hard to build a relationship at that stage of the process ... showing up at the last moment to talk about your interest, human nature being pretty much universal, it’s hard to make friends.”

New York’s data are expected to be formally released by the federal government in the next few weeks.

What’s clear is that one seat from upstate is expected to be one of the two districts that New York will be losing. It’s murkier whether there will be a loss from New York City or one of its suburbs.

This year, there’s more pressure than usual for an open and nonpartisan process, after former Mayor Ed Koch’s group solicited signed pledges from an overwhelming number of state lawmakers and a promise from Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo to make it happen. Cuomo has introduced a bill to create an independent redistricting commission, though state Senate Republicans have so far given signals that they may not be on board, adding to the uncertainty.

Koch’s effort is an attempt to add a less partisan tinge to the typically cutthroat process after a cycle in which the word “reform” has become a mantra following a slew of scandals involving members of the New York congressional delegation.

But Republican state senators, who hold the majority in their chamber, are showing signs of unease over a move toward an independent commission.

Koch laughed when told by POLITICO about the lobbyist hires, saying, “It’s an outrage.”