New York Governor Kathy Hochul said “we are at war” on Monday as she was joined by Texas Democrats who left their state to prevent Republican Governor Greg Abbott‘s attempts to redraw U.S. House maps.
“Here in New York, we will not stand on the sidelines with the timid souls on the sidelines who don’t care and will not invest their heart and soul into this battle,” she said at a joint press conference in New York. “This is a war. We are at war, and that’s why the gloves are off. And I say, bring it on with that.”
Hochul said that what Texas and Republican states are doing under President Donald Trump’s direction is “nothing short of a legal insurrection against our Capitol.”
“If Republicans are willing to rewrite these rules to give themselves an advantage, then they’re leaving us no choice; we must do the same,” Hochul said. “There’s a phrase, ‘you have to fight fire with fire.’ That is a true statement of how we’re feeling right now. And as I’ve said, another overused but applicable phrase, ‘all is fair in love and war’— that’s why I’m exploring with our leaders every option to redraw our state congressional lines as soon as possible.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan on May 1, 2025.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan on May 1, 2025.
NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx
Why It Matters
Texas Republican state lawmakers unveiled the first draft of a new congressional map last week. Republicans hold 25 of the state’s 38 seats, and the new map could bring the total seats won in the 2026 midterm election to 30 if passed.
On Sunday, Texas House Democrats announced that they will be denying the quorum needed to hold a vote on the new map. In the Texas House of Representatives, two-thirds of its 150 members must be present to reach a quorum. Democrats make up over a third of the representatives in the legislative body, at 62 members.
Without a quorum, “no business shall be transacted, except to compel the attendance of absent members or to adjourn,” according to the Texas House Rules of Procedure.
What To Know
Abbott has threatened to remove the Texas Democrats from office if they don’t return by Monday afternoon.
“The derelict Democrat House members must return to Texas and be in attendance when the House reconvenes at 3:00 PM on Monday, August 4, 2025. For any member who fails to do so, I will invoke Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382 to remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House,” Abbott said in a statement.
However, the lawmakers say they have no plans to return to their home state today.
“This is about representation, about fairness and about the integrity of our elections. We are not here to resist, we are here to fight, and we are asking for your help in this fight,” Mihaela Plesa, vice chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said at the press conference.
What Is Redistricting?
Redistricting is the process by which states redraw or redefine legislative district boundaries on the federal, state and local jurisdiction levels.
Redistricting for the U.S. House of Representatives happens every 10 years after the U.S. Census Bureau collects and compiles new population data, the agency said in 2023. The agency also said that litigation or changes in how a jurisdiction is managed could lead to redistricting at any time.
Texas Redistricting Map: Proposed Boundaries
Under the new map, Texas’s four Democratic-leaning major metropolitan areas would be divided among at least four congressional districts each. Nearly all of these districts would have a Republican majority, according to the Associated Press. One district would link part of Austin to Odessa, located 340 miles west.
What People Are Saying
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, at a August 4 press conference: “These brave public servants are taking a stand, a strong stand, against a blatant power grab that’s happening in their state as we speak. And this will have implications not just in Texas, but for our entire nation and its future.”
Mihaela Plesa, vice chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, at the press conference: “We need Democrats across the country in state houses and congresses and communities to say loud and clear, ‘This is not who we are, and this is not what we will accept.’ This is a rallying cry.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, in a statement: “Real Texans do not run from a fight. But that’s exactly what most of the Texas House Democrats just did. Rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business.”
What Happens Next
Abbott said he will remove House members who are not present when the legislative body reconvenes on Monday. He said legislators also may have committed felonies by “soliciting funds to evade the fines they will incur under House rules.”
“I will use my full extradition authority to demand the return to Texas of any potential out-of-state felons,” Abbott said.
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Update 8/4/25, 2:56 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.