NY Dems Move to Tighten Control Of Redistricting Before 2028

New York Democrats are set to pass an omnibus constitutional amendment to redraw congressional maps by the end of this week as they work to skew the state further in their favor ahead of the 2028 election.

The constitutional amendment, formally introduced Monday, will allow Democrats to allow New York to redistrict mid-decade even before an official US Census count, and streamlines how lawmakers can approve maps submitted by the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission. The amendment also removes a prohibition on favoring one party over another, and eliminates the supermajority threshold of votes needed for the legislature to adopt new maps.

Democrats hold the majority in both legislative chambers and the governorship.

The bid comes as Democrats, including US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Gov. Kathy Hochul, say they must participate in a national redistricting battle between red and blue states that began when Texas altered its maps last summer at the urging of President Donald Trump.

Lawmakers also contend the Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which critics say weakened key provisions of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, has further supercharged the need to redraw congressional and state legislative maps to tilt towards Democrats.

State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris said last week the goal is to give New York lawmakers flexibility to tweak the state’s redistricting process ahead of 2028.

Constitutional amendments must pass both houses of the legislature and be approved by Hochul in two consecutive sessions before voters see them on the ballot. They have until Thursday to approve the measure. Republicans will likely debate it extensively.

“We want to give a range of possibilities to the legislature to consider next year for second passage,” Gianaris said.

Democrats’ plans drew criticism Monday from New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who alleged the goal was to “corrupt the system” and boost Jeffries’ chances of leading the House.

Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) last month said it’s a matter of fairness, to avoid “an existential threat to democracy.”

The state constitution currently has explicit prohibitions on racial vote dilution and partisan favoritism, said Jeffrey Wice, a New York Law School professor and redistricting expert. Lawmakers must weigh how to maintain those criteria while drawing maps that are more favorable to Democrats, Wice said.

The proposed amendment keeps language protecting minority communities from vote dilution.

Of the 26 congressional seats in New York, seven are held by Republicans, including one in Staten Island and two in deep purple Long Island.

“When you’re attacked in a war, you can’t be left defenseless,” Wice said in an interview. “And since Donald Trump has thrown the rules out the window, Democrats find it hard to hold the line and not lose even more.”