Here Comes the New York Gerrymander The new Governor says she’ll help Democrats carve up the state.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s moderate reputation may not last long. In her first day in the office vacated by Andrew Cuomo, Ms. Hochul promised to help gerrymander the Empire State to the benefit of Democrats in Washington, D.C.
The New York Times asked Ms. Hochul in an interview, “Do you plan to use your influence to help Democrats expand the House majority through the redistricting process?” Nice leading question. She answered: “Yes. I am also the leader of the New York State Democratic Party. I embrace that. I have a responsibility to lead this party, as well as the government.”
She added, in response to the next question, that “I have to help make sure there are more Democrats there to help Joe Biden get his agenda through the Senate.”
By a 15-point margin, New Yorkers in 2014 passed a constitutional amendment creating a bipartisan commission to take the lead on redistricting. The commission is slated to publish an outline of its first proposal by Sept. 15.
Yet after Democrats took control of both chambers of the New York Legislature in 2018, they began to look for ways to undermine the new commission. Another redistricting amendment on the ballot this November would do precisely that. It would implement complicated rule changes in the redistricting process ahead of the 2022 elections, but the main objective is to reduce GOP leverage.
Mr. Cuomo supported the 2014 bipartisan redistricting plan, and it was assumed that the Governor would sign any map the commission created and the Legislature approved. But Ms. Hochul will now hold the veto pen. If Democrats in Albany are committed to drawing a map to “expand the House majority,” they can likely do so—especially if they get their measure weakening the commission past voters in November.
Redistricting savants estimate that Democrats could draw a map that sends 23 Democrats and only three Republicans to the House of Representatives from New York. The GOP now holds eight New York seats.
Along with Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s recent reversal on gerrymandering, Ms. Hochul’s comments give lie to the notion that only Republicans play this game. They also show how state bipartisan commissions aren’t a cure-all for partisan manipulation.
But that doesn’t mean voters don’t have a say. If New Yorkers want to punish Ms. Hochul’s sanctioning of gerrymandering, they’ll have a chance in the next election.
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