BUFFALO, N.Y. — A coalition of Republican voters challenged New York's redistricting this year in the state court system.

State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said he always believed they were on the right side of the law, the only question was how a panel of nearly all Democrats on the New York Court of Appeals would interpret it.

"This was not a conservative court. It is probably the opposite, but it should reinforce the notion that judges can look at these things and make the right decision and I applaud them for doing so," Ortt said.

In a 4-3 split decision, the state Court of Appeals invalidated new state Senate and congressional lines. The majority decision said there was evidence the congressional lines were drawn to discourage competition between parties.

"Fair lines, which is what the people of New York, should want. Fair lines would represent a clear improvement from one-party gerrymandered lines which is what we got from the Democrats," Ortt said.

The court also ruled the process, which required an Independent Redistricting Commission to submit two sets of maps to the Legislature, was not followed. In the state Senate maps, legislator Ed Rath's 61st District was split up and he was drawn into the vastly Democratic 60th.

"Six decades, this district had been unified, communities of interest working together, senators, members of all levels of government advocating together for common issues, common concerns across the 61st Senate District. Well now we have hope that that voice can then be represented once again," Rath said.

The court system will oversee an outside expert, known as a special master, who was appointed to draw new lines, likely meaning the state Senate and congressional primaries will have to shift to August. The state Board of Elections said it does not forsee the June 28 primary date to change for statewide offices, state Assembly, judicial delegates, alternates and any local offices. 

It's unlcear what this means for the petitioning process which was already completed. 

"In the short tem, it's more chaotic and that's bad for New Yorkers and had the process been followed right the first time, we wouldn't be here right now but this is still in the long-term a victory because we'll figure these things out," Ortt said.

The state Senate majority said it disagrees with the decision and believes in the constitutionality of the maps it helped draw. It said the state Senate map, in particular, corrected a previous gerrymander and was not thrown out on its own merits by any court.

The majority will make that case to the special master as he draws the new maps.