(The Center Square) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is siding with Texas Democrats in a standoff over redrawn U.S. House maps sought by President Donald Trump, even as she pushes a partisan mid-decade redistricting plan for her own state.
At a press briefing Monday with several Texas lawmakers, including Reps. Mihaela Plesa, Lu Lu Flores and Jolanda Jones, Hochul ripped Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott and praised the lawmakers for “standing up” to “blatant power grab” with the redistricting plan she claimed would “rig the system” to suppress black and Latino voters. Hochul said that New York — and the country — have a “strong interest” in the outcome of the dispute.
“They’ve drawn racist lines to disenfranchise millions of Texans,” the Democrat said in live-streamed remarks. “I have a news flash for Republicans in Texas: This is no longer the Wild West. We’re not going to tolerate our democracy being stolen in a modern-day stage-coach heist by a bunch of law-breaking cowboys.”
Last week, Texas GOP lawmakers released a first draft of the state’s new congressional map that could flip five Democratic-held seats in next year’s midterms. Over the weekend, about 50 Democrats fled Texas, depriving the Republican-controlled chamber of a quorum ahead of a scheduled Monday vote on the draft map. Republicans have vowed to have them arrested or removed from office if they don’t return.
Many of the Texan Democrats fled to Illinois, where Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said Sunday that his state would protect them. Others went to New York and other democratic strongholds.
Plesa, vice chair of the Texas House of Representatives’ Democratic minority caucus, portrayed the Lone Star State’s map battle as part of a larger redistricting arms race, while blue and red states weigh changing their own congressional maps ahead of next year’s midterms, when much of Congress is up for reelection.
“This doesn’t stop with Texas,” she said in remarks Monday. “If Trump and Abbott succeed, it will — yeah sure — give them five seats. But then, where else do they go? Ohio. Missouri. Any other Republican-controlled legislature with Democratic congress people.”
The Texas lawmakers who appeared at Hochul’s briefing — who are facing arrest and a daily $500 fine for breaking legislative quorum — declined to say where they’re headed after New York, but said they expect to meet with Democratic Party officials as the standoff continues.
“Don’t tell them,” Hochul said after a reporter asked the Texans where they are going. “On the advice of counsel, I’m going to advise them not to disclose where they’re heading next.”
To be sure, Hochul’s criticism of the Texas redistricting plan comes as she backs a plan by New York Democrats for a constitutional amendment in 2027 to approve a re-drawing of the state’s political maps.
Hochul and state Assembly Speaker Carl Hestie, who also attended Monday’s meeting, brushed aside criticism from good government groups that the New York redistricting plan would bypass the work of the state’s non-partisan redistricting commission.
“The reason we are able to draw the lines is because we’re Democrats and a majority of people in the state elected us to be leaders,” Hochul said. “If Republicans take over the Legislature, they can have at it. But until then, we’re in change … and we’re sick and tired of being pushed around.”
