The state’s Independent Redistricting Commission met in Albany Thursday, the first time since being ordered earlier this month by New York's highest court to redraw congressional lines. 

While the meeting dealt mostly with procedural issues, it was a jumping off point for a process that will have national attention.

Vice Chairman Charles Nesbitt acknowledged right off the bat that Thursday’s meeting wasn’t going to go far toward satisfying nationwide interest in the outcome of New York’s redistricting process, the implications of which experts say could impact who controls the of the House of Representatives in 2025.

The commission announced the resignation of co-executive director Darren McGeary and the appointment of Douglas Breakell who held the role previously.

“It’s a constitutional office so it required a face-to-face meeting to make a change,” he said. “Darren was moving on to a new assignment in his career and Doug was willing to come back.”

Also on the agenda was re-appointing organizations Redistricting Partners and Redistricting Insights to assist in creating the maps.

“To be able to do the actual work on a map, they are technicians,” said Chairman Ken Jenkins.

While the items on the agenda are all a part of the process, Chairman Jenkins says the focus remains on work that he and Vice Chairman Nesbitt say will begin in earnest after the first of the year.

“We’ll meet as much as is required to make sure the date is accomplished,” he said. “When we did this for the last two processes there were several meetings that were constitutional meetings here but we also had several meetings where we were working together, committee work.”

As the process unfolds in the coming weeks, the chair and vice chair stress that they don’t foresee a repeat of the partisan gridlock that plagued the commission last time around.

“Neither one of us or any of the commissioners to my awareness have been anything but working hard together wherever we happen to be to get our job done and turn it over to the legislature for consideration,” he said.

While they say substantial discussions about the maps themselves, and what problems if any they see with the maps drawn by the special master, have yet to begin, they are confident that the work will be done on time.

“The fact that this group is dedicated to the process is a real and substantive thing,” Nesbitt said.

Asked about concerns the Feb. 28, 2024 deadline creates for congressional candidates and potential primaries, the commission points to its work on state assembly maps redone earlier this year.