Former Democratic New York Gov. David Paterson tore into Gov. Kathy Hochul and his fellow Democrats over a plan to redraw congressional maps and trim Republican seats.
Hochul backed the partisan effort because Democrats in the legislature have her badly outvoted and want the change, Paterson said on 77 WABC’s ‘Cats Roundtable,’ according to the New York Post. He said she is “almost taking a lead on it just to maintain that relationship,” adding, “It’s a real problem.”
The amendment would remove anti-gerrymandering language from the state constitution. It would also let a simple majority in both legislative chambers override the maps proposed by New York’s Independent Redistricting Commission, and permit congressional lines to be redrawn between census cycles, according to Spectrum News. (RELATED: Former Democratic Governor Blasts Kathy Hochul Over Anti-ICE Sanctuary Laws)
Lawmakers gave the measure its first approval on June 3. The proposal does nothing for 2026, since it must clear the legislature again next year and then win voter approval in late 2027, according to Gothamist.
Ex-NY Gov. David Paterson rips Hochul, Dems for pushing partisan redistricting https://t.co/OCgFMPv1vS pic.twitter.com/ULh5FeroUP
— New York Post (@nypost) June 7, 2026
If voters sign off, Democrats could pick up two to three House seats in 2028, according to Spectrum News.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie defended the move by pointing to a recent Supreme Court ruling and the national fight over maps. “I think this thing about asking New York to play fair while everybody else is playing ruthless, I think it’s not right to ask us to do that,” he told Gothamist.
The high court struck down a Louisiana congressional map in a 6-3 decision on April 29, according to SCOTUSblog.
New York’s push trails similar efforts elsewhere. Texas Republicans moved first at President Donald Trump’s urging and sought new lines for 2026, while New York’s plan targets later cycles, according to NBC News.
Paterson warned the partisan warfare is splitting the country. “We’re moving toward a society that is going to be Balkanized,” he said in remarks aired by the New York Post. He called the trend a path toward a “dire, dire situation.”