Common Cause says a 63rd Senate seat is a terrible idea, but if it has be done, at least put the new district somewhere in the five boroughs of New York City.

“Putting an additional Senate district anywhere but in New York City systematically distorts the regional balance of the state and constitutes an automatic gerrymander. It would perpetuate an objectionable practice of diluting NYC voting power and under-populating upstate districts to politically advantage Senate Republicans,” said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY, in statement.

Senate Republicans say they have no choice but to push for a new Senate seat because New York’s population as a whole has grown over the last decade and point to some hotly debate Constitutional language.

Majority Leader Dean Skelos, R-Nassau County, told reporters this week that the new seat won’t be placed on Long Island. And given the overwhelming Democratic enrollment in New York City, it’s unlikely to go there, either.

Common Cause says that placnig the 63rd seat in the upstate region would force the districts to be under populated by a negative 4 percent deviation, while New York City districts would be overpopulated.

Placing the seat in the city would produce districts that are “almost” equal in population.

Chris Bragg over at City & State’s blog pointed out that a likely candidate for the new seat would be somewhere in the Hudson Valley.

Proposed state legislative maps are expected sometime next week.

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