Hochul Calls for Gerrymandering in New York Congressional Districts

ALBANY – Governor Kathy Hochul is intensifying her push for a gerrymandered Congressional district in New York while hosting Democratic officials from Texas to counteract efforts by Trump to redraw the electoral map in that state.

During a recent address, Hochul suggested that New York should reconsider the 2012 redistricting reforms implemented to curb bipartisan influences on Congressional maps.

“If that’s what it takes, then so be it,” she stated.

“Saving democracy is my top priority, no matter what,” she emphasized.

Hochul made these remarks alongside a state Capitol press conference, attended by several Texas House Democrats.

“The situation has changed not only for Democrats but for all Americans. We must adapt to these new realities,” said Mihera Presa, Vice-Chair of the Texas House Democrats.

On the other hand, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has called a special session aimed at pushing through new congressional boundaries and has threatened to penalize Democratic lawmakers who do not comply.

“Is he just making things up?” a skeptical comment was noted.

Meanwhile, New York Republicans have dismissed the visit by Texas Democrats as a mere public relations move.

In response to Hochul’s remarks, Rob Oteor, a Republican leader in the state Senate, remarked that Hochul and her colleagues are sacrificing democratic principles while claiming to defend democracy. “Voters see through this – it’s all about political power,” he said.

Elise Stefanik, a Republican Senator from New York, critiqued Hochul for allegedly undermining the principles of the New York State Constitution and disregarding the will of voters and good governance.

Hochul has labeled Abbott’s plans to “rig” the Texas map as un-American, while he threatens similar actions in New York.

“Rigging the system undermines the people’s will. Such tactics are fundamentally un-American. Congressional districts should not be redrawn arbitrarily,” Hochul asserted.

The current redistricting process in New York is managed by a committee primarily made up of appointees from both parties, instituted in 2014 and endorsed by over 57% of the voters. However, Hochul aspires to revert control of the mapping process back to the state legislators.

With Democrats close to a majority in both Congressional chambers, changes to the Constitutional language are not instantaneous. Any proposed amendment must pass through two consecutive sessions of Congress before citizens can vote on it, possibly delaying any changes until 2027. This leads to speculations that Democrats aim to manipulate the map ahead of the 2028 presidential elections.