Democrats line up for Ackerman seat

Three Democrats have announced plans to run for the House seat left open by Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.), who announced on Thursday that he plans to retire.

New York state Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D) had dropped out of the race on Friday, saying he didn't want to challenge Ackerman in the Democratic primary. But Ackerman's surprise announcement hours later changed the calculus for Lancman, who announced Monday that he was back in.

State Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D) and New York City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D) will also seek the seat, Capital New York reported.

Redistricting in New York is still in flux, but it appears that the open seat will be in a Queens-based district that includes much of the former territory of Ackerman, whose old district straddled the border between Queens and Long Island.