New York Governor’s Response to Texas Mid-Cycle Rezoning

Governor Kathy Hochul of New York expressed her intent on Monday to consider “all options” for redrawing the state’s Capitol map following Texas’s push for a mid-cycle rezoning.

Hochul noted, “You have to fight fire with fire.” This sentiment emerged during remarks made alongside New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and a Democrat from Texas.

She further remarked, “Everything is fair in love and war,” as she discussed her goal to adjust the state legislative lines promptly, claiming that the state’s legislative leaders were united in this effort.

“We are already in discussions on the legislative process and evaluating legal strategies to thwart this aggressive maneuver,” she stated.

This situation stems from an incident where Texas Democrats left the state on Sunday, effectively thwarting Republicans from obtaining the necessary number of lawmakers to pass a map that could add five additional opportunities for their party. The current Texas map already favors Republicans significantly.

Last week, a Texas House Panel reviewed the map and voted on it in a House session.

In their escape, Texas Democrats traveled to states like Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts, all led by Democrats. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker recently promised to protect Texas Democrats from potential arrests.

However, New York also has its challenges, facing limitations on its district mappings due to a court ruling in 2022 that deemed its previous map gave too much advantage to Democrats.

In New York, the Rezone Committee is responsible for drawing the map, yet it still requires approval from the state legislature. Furthermore, state constitutional amendments must be passed in two consecutive sessions before being presented to voters, meaning changes to New York’s maps won’t be feasible before the 2026 cycle.

Acknowledging these hurdles, Hochul admitted, “It’s not the timeline I like.”

She added, “We’ll also look into litigation strategies,” emphasizing ongoing discussions about potential options. One option Hochul supported was the dissolution or modification of the constituency committee established by voters in 2014.

“I’m tired of fighting this fight with my hands tied behind my back,” she expressed.

New York isn’t alone in its exploration of mid-cycle rezoning methods due to Texas’s actions; California is considering various avenues for changing its house map, while Florida is similarly examining options on the Republican side.