By Even some Democrats are beginning to think that their party is losing its mind. Former Democratic Gov. David Paterson is criticizing Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Democratic leaders over a proposed constitutional amendment that could make it easier for lawmakers to redraw New York’s congressional districts and eliminate Republican-held seats.
Paterson said Hochul appears to be backing the plan partly to maintain her relationship with the heavily Democratic state legislature, which holds considerable leverage over her administration.
“She’s almost taking a lead on it just to maintain that relationship,” Paterson said during an appearance Sunday on 77 WABC’s “Cats Roundtable,” according to the New York Post. “It’s a real problem.”
Paterson, who previously served as chairman of the New York Democratic Party, said the intent behind the proposal is clear.
“They’re going to draw their own maps [for partisan gain],” he said.
The proposed amendment would weaken restrictions on partisan gerrymandering currently embedded in the state constitution, writes The New York Post. It would also allow lawmakers to sidestep New York’s Independent Redistricting Commission and draw new congressional maps outside the normal once-a-decade process that follows the census.
New York voters approved the current redistricting framework in 2014 as an effort to limit the ability of politicians to manipulate district lines for partisan advantage. Under the amendment now advancing in Albany, Democratic lawmakers would regain considerably more power over the mapmaking process, a sign that Democrats have become less and less popular and need structural institutions within government to support their party.
The Democratic-controlled state Senate and Assembly granted the measure initial approval last week. Because the proposal would amend the state constitution, lawmakers must pass it again in 2027 before sending it to voters for final approval in a statewide referendum in November 2027.
The changes would not affect the 2026 midterm elections. If voters approve the amendment, however, Democratic lawmakers could redraw the map in time for the 2028 elections.
Democrats already hold 19 of New York’s 26 congressional seats. Analysts have estimated that a more aggressive map could give the party another two to four seats, potentially leaving Republicans with only a small foothold in one of the country’s largest states.
The proposal is part of a broader redistricting arms race that has spread across the country ahead of the midterms. Republican-led states, including Texas and Florida, have pursued new maps aimed at increasing GOP representation in Congress. Democratic leaders in New York have argued that they cannot remain on the sidelines while Republicans use redistricting to strengthen their position in the House.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie defended the effort by arguing that New York should not be expected to follow stricter rules while other states pursue aggressive map changes.
“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,” Heastie told Gothamist.
Republicans have accused Hochul and legislative Democrats of using the actions of other states as a pretext to dismantle safeguards that New York voters deliberately placed in the constitution.
The debate comes as control of the U.S. House remains closely contested. Even a handful of seats could shape the balance of power in Washington, turning New York’s proposed amendment into a potentially important piece of the national fight over congressional control.
Paterson’s criticism is notable because it is one of the first former Democratic leaders to point out the hypocrisy of being the party of “defending democracy” while using every minor loophole, in this case gerrymandering a state that was already gerrymandered, to cling to power.
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