ALBANY – Democratic lawmakers are looking to change the state constitution in a power grab that will allow them to carve up congressional maps — and target seven Republican-held seats.
A proposed amendment released Monday by the Democratic majority would give its own members authority to change the maps to draw new congressional district lines favorable to their candidates, with insiders saying it could mean flipping at least four GOP congressional seats in the state.
Democrats, who control both houses of the state legislature and hold a more than 2-to-1 voter enrollment advantage over Republicans, would need voters to approve the measure on their November 2027 election ballots.
“They’re trying to eliminate dissent and cement one-party rule in this state,” former US Rep. John Faso, New York Republicans’ redistricting czar, told The Post Tuesday.
The latest move would remove language establishing a ban on gerrymandering in the state and would also allow the map to be changed mid-decade, despite US House lines usually being crafted based on the latest census.
The amendment would also:
- Keep New York’s bipartisan redistricting commission in place, but give a simple majority of both houses the ability to override a proposed map from panel. A two-thirds majority is currently required, which allos Republicans to block such a move.
- Remove language dictating that districts “shall not be drawn to discourage competition,” effectively allowing political gerrymandering
- Allows the legislature to change the maps mid-decade, opening the door for new districts for the 2028 presidential election
While the state legislature plans to pass the bill this week, setting up a process where they have to pass it again next year in order to put it on the ballot next November, it’s unclear whether Democrats will be able to rally the support to approve the ballot measure.
“I think the voters are going to very skeptical of it,” pointing out that New Yorkers approved the amendment to set up the current process in 2014 with 58% of the vote, and rejected subsequent efforts to change it.
But US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Gov. Kathy Hochul and other top Dems are confident that New York voters, 48% of which are registered Democrats, will back the move as they position the amendment as a reaction against President Trump and redistricting pushes in red states.
Former Democratic Gov. David Paterson told The Post Tuesday he thinks the ballot measure will succeed and that a majority of voters will get behind the effort.
“The voters are not, at least in New York State, are no more endeared to what they’re doing in Texas than the legislators in New York State,” Paterson said.
But he said “the sad part about this whole thing” is that Democrats have to feel compelled to blow up a somewhat independent process do what he considers an “act of resistance” against Washington.
“They may see this, and they may be right, that this is an act of resistance,” Paterson said of Albany Democrats.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) described Texas and other Republican states’ redistricting efforts as “ruthless” but declined to characterize his party’s response in New York likewise.
“I’m going to play fair based on how other people play,” he said.
A massive 71% Bronx pol’s home borough voted in favor of the 2014 amendment to set up the independent redistricting process, more than any other county.
