Gov. Hochul on Thursday stated she’s open to congressional redistricting in New York to spice up Democrats forward of the 2026 midterm elections amid President Trump’s push to redraw purple states like Texas to assist Republicans hold management of the Home.
With Trump aiming to squeeze not less than 5 extra GOP seats within the Lone Star State, Hochul stated Democrats ought to be open to hitting again by redrawing New York’s 26 districts to profit Staff Blue.
“All’s fair in love and war,” Hochul stated throughout an unrelated occasion in her dwelling city of Buffalo. “If there’s other states violating the rules and are trying to give themselves an advantage, all I’ll say is, I’m going to look at it closely.”
Hochul stated she’s decided to reply in sort if Republicans sport the system in purple states in an effort to cling to energy in what’s looming as a troublesome political local weather in 2026.
“I’m not surprised that they’re trying to break the rules to get an advantage,” Hochul added. “But that’s undemocratic, and not only are we calling them out, we’re also going to see what our options are.”
Hochul stated she would discuss with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic Home minority chief, a few path ahead on redistricting in New York, the place Democrats now maintain 19 seats and Republicans have seven. Republicans maintain the Home by a slim seven-vote margin and historical past says events of the sitting president often lose extra seats than that within the midterms after successful an election.
Jeffries stated this week that Democrats in New York and different blue states ought to contemplate all choices if Trump and Republicans select the political nuclear possibility by ripping up the Texas map in the course of the last decade.
“Every single state is going to have to do the same thing because Republicans are desperate,” Jeffries advised reporters on Capitol Hill Tuesday.
Redistricting in New York, California and several other different Democratic states can be a considerably more durable carry legally and possibly politically than in Texas or different purple states.
New York’s Structure solely permits for redistricting to happen as soon as a decade, and it’s unclear how or if Democrats might get round that provision. The liberal-led state’s highest courtroom must weigh in on any effort to redraw the districts.
If Democrats might recover from authorized hurdles, they may doubtlessly use their supermajorities within the Meeting and the state Senate to bulldoze the strategies of a bipartisan, unbiased redistricting committee.
Election analysts imagine New York maps could possibly be tweaked to provide Democrats the higher hand in not less than 22 or 23 districts, a achieve of three or 4 seats in contrast with the present map.
The obvious tweaks would contain eliminating Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ edge in her Staten Island-based district by together with deep-blue elements of Brooklyn; redrawing Lengthy Island to provide Democrats a bonus in Rep. Nick LaLota’s East Finish district; and rejiggering the Westchester County-based swing district represented by Rep. Mike Lawler to make it unimaginable for him to win reelection.
A inventive redrawing of far upstate districts might solidify Rep. Josh Riley’s maintain on his battleground nineteenth District within the Catskills and maybe give Democrats an opportunity to oust Rep. Claudia Tenney by packing Republicans into neighboring purple districts.
Texas Republicans, who management the complete state authorities in addition to a conservative dominated courtroom system, are holding a particular legislative session to think about re-divvying up the state’s 38 districts, which are actually cut up 25-12 in favor of Republicans, with one deep-blue Houston seat vacant.
The GOP can also be hoping to redraw Ohio to select up three seats and have mentioned strikes to redraw maps in Indiana and Missouri, too.
Initially Printed: July 24, 2025 at 4:35 PM EDT
