BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WBNG) — New York Democrats are reviving a push to redraw congressional district lines before the next census map cycle, aiming for changes ahead of the 2028 elections.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic legislative leaders are backing a push that could allow New York to redraw its congressional map ahead of the 2028 election cycle, years before the state’s usual post-census redistricting timeline.
“I committed in that moment that New York State would be a leader in protecting our democracy and ensuring that it is not eviscerated at the hands of Donald Trump or others, the cowards, who follow him,” Hochul said.
Democrats say it’s a response to last summer’s effort in Texas to redraw lines mid-decade and argue national court rulings have raised the stakes.
“Last week’s horrific Supreme Court decision has given even more weight and importance to this effort. Dozens of black members of Congress in the South who have represented black communities since the civil rights era are at risk of being gerrymandered out of existence. This will have consequences far beyond those districts,” Hochul said.
New York has 26 congressional districts, with Democrats holding 19 seats and Republicans holding seven. Several are competitive swing districts, and even small boundary shifts can change who has the advantage.
New York’s lines are developed through a 10-member independent redistricting commission, then taken up by the legislature, a system created by voters in 2014. This new push would require a state constitutional change to allow an earlier redraw. The New York Independent Redistricting Commission declined to comment.
Even if Albany moves quickly, changing the constitution is a multi-step process, and any new map would face legal scrutiny.
While the political focus is often on New York City and the suburbs, any redraw has to meet population rules, meaning changes downstate can affect more rural districts upstate, including parts of the Southern Tier.
What happens next depends on whether lawmakers can advance a constitutional amendment and whether voters would sign off.
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