Hochul Keeps New York Redistricting Amendment Under Consideration
Hochul said she is still weighing whether to support a proposed change to New York’s constitution that could permit mid-decade redistricting. Democratic victories in elections across the country have changed the political landscape, she said, but do not eliminate the possibility of future elections producing different results. She plans to discuss the issue with state legislative leaders and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the House.
Under the current constitution, a bipartisan commission draws congressional districts after each census, with lawmakers having final approval. The proposed amendment would allow map changes between censuses, remove the state’s ban on partisan gerrymandering and make it easier for the Democratic-led Legislature to act without the commission’s proposed lines.
The Legislature gave the amendment preliminary approval in June. It must pass again in the next legislative session, which begins in January, before it can go to voters. If lawmakers approve it, a statewide vote could take place in November 2027, potentially clearing a path to new districts in 2028. Hochul has no official part in the amendment procedure, but has advocated for it.
Democratic state Sen. Shelley Mayer called it premature to say whether lawmakers would take up the measure again, and said it warranted further discussion. Rep. Joseph Morelle said he would urge lawmakers to proceed. Republican former Rep. John Faso opposed the proposal, arguing it would undermine voters’ current redistricting system and benefit one party. New York’s highest court rejected a Democratic-drawn map in 2022, while in March the U.S. Supreme Court put a lower-court order on hold that would have changed the 11th Congressional District.
Hochul Keeps Open the Option to Counter Mid-Decade Map Changes
Republican-led states have already changed congressional boundaries between censuses, and New York Democrats argue the state should not leave its own map frozen while those lines remain in place. Gov. Kathy Hochul said on November 10 that future elections could bring different outcomes, so the recent Democratic wins do not settle the question.
The proposed amendment would let New York redraw districts mid-decade, remove the state’s ban on partisan gerrymandering and make it easier for the Democratic-led Legislature to change maps without relying on the bipartisan commission’s proposal. The Legislature gave it preliminary approval in June, and Rep. Joseph Morelle says he will urge lawmakers to advance it.
The proposal still faces a significant hurdle: lawmakers must approve it again in 2027 before voters can consider it, potentially in November of that year. Hochul says she will consult legislative leaders and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Democratic Sen. Shelley Mayer says the measure needs thoughtful review, while noting that Republican map changes elsewhere did not prevent Democratic victories.
Republican opponents call the amendment an attempt to rig districts for one party. But the current system has not stopped the national redistricting contest; Democrats argue New York should retain the ability to respond as the political landscape changes.
Hochul Leaves Door Open to Democrats’ Redistricting Power Grab
Even after Democrats won key races, Gov. Kathy Hochul is keeping alive a proposal that could give her party greater control over New York’s congressional map. The amendment would permit redistricting between censuses, remove the state’s ban on partisan gerrymandering and make it easier for the Democratic-led Legislature to act without the bipartisan commission’s proposed map.
New York’s constitution now provides for a bipartisan commission to draw districts after each census, with lawmakers having final approval. Voters approved the current redistricting process in 2014, former Republican Rep. John Faso noted, and the state’s highest court dismissed a map drafted by Democrats in 2022 because it breached the ban on partisan gerrymandering.
The amendment received preliminary legislative approval in June, but must pass again in 2027 before it can go to voters, possibly in November of that year. Hochul says she is still considering it and will speak with state legislative leaders and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Republicans warn the change would favor one party; Democratic lawmakers say they want more discussion, while Rep. Joseph Morelle plans to push for it.
Hochul says Republican-drawn lines elsewhere remain in place and future elections could shift. That argument keeps the door open to rewriting New York’s rules even though Democrats have already made gains—and even though the proposal would loosen safeguards against partisan mapmaking.
Reported by Gothamist, New York Post.
