House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on Tuesday threw his support behind a proposed New York constitutional amendment that would overhaul the state’s redistricting process, casting the effort as a response to Republican-led map redrawing in other states and declaring that “the Empire State will strike back.”
First reported by Politico, the proposal would amend New York’s constitution to allow lawmakers to redraw congressional districts before the next scheduled redistricting cycle and loosen some of the restrictions governing the process.
“Democrats promised a forceful, ongoing and multi-state response to Republican efforts to gerrymander the national congressional map and rig House elections,” Jeffries said in a statement. “New York State just delivered a powerful one.”
The amendment would make significant changes to the state’s redistricting rules, according to Politico, including removing constitutional language barring districts from being drawn to favor or disfavor political parties. The proposal would also allow lawmakers to revisit congressional districts before the next census under certain circumstances.
Jeffreies thanked New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), and Democratic lawmakers for “aggressively pushing back” against what he called “Donald Trump’s corrupt scheming.”
“We will ensure there are free and fair elections moving forward,” he said. “The Empire State will strike back.”
Democrats have a 19-7 advantage in the state’s congressional delegation, but redrawing the map could swipe up to four seats from Republicans.
The amendment comes as Democrats nationwide search for ways to counter Republican-led redistricting efforts that have strengthened GOP advantages in several states.
Unlike several Republican-led states’ redistricting efforts, New York is looking to make the change in time for the 2028 presidential election cycle, instead of the 2026 midterm elections.
In New York’s proposed plan, voters would need to approve a referendum on the amendment in November 2027. Lawmakers are planning to vote on it before ending their annual legislative session on Thursday.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D-NY) press office publicly embraced the proposal Tuesday, posting on X: “You asked, we delivered. New York is joining the fight.”
RED OR BLUE? GOP AND DEMOCRATS EYE NEXT GERRYMANDER TARGETS AFTER SUPREME COURT RULING
The effort follows years of legal and political battles over New York’s congressional map. In 2022, the state’s highest court struck down a Democrat-backed congressional map after ruling it violated anti-gerrymandering provisions approved by voters in 2014. A court-appointed special master subsequently drew districts that helped Republicans gain several seats in New York during the 2022 midterm elections.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Hochul’s office for comment.
