By Joseph Ax
NEW YORK, June 4 (Reuters) - New York Democrats have taken the first step toward redrawing the state's congressional map for the 2028 election cycle, a move that could eventually yield a handful of U.S. House of Representatives seats for the party.
The state Senate and state Assembly, both controlled by Democrats, advanced a proposed constitutional amendment late on Wednesday that would allow lawmakers to sidestep an independent redistricting commission and draw new, more favorable lines.
Under state law, the legislature must pass the amendment again in 2027, and then voters would have to approve the measure in a referendum ahead of 2028. Among other changes, the amendment would eliminate New York's current ban on partisan gerrymandering, the process of drawing maps to benefit one party over another.
Democrats currently hold 19 of the state's 26 U.S. House seats. A new map could provide Democrats with up to four additional seats, analysts say.
Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and Democratic U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who represents a district in New York City's Brooklyn borough, have both called on state lawmakers to act aggressively to counter Republican efforts to redraw maps, part of a national redistricting war that has reshaped dozens of districts around the country.
Republicans have opened up a significant advantage in recent weeks, thanks to a U.S. Supreme Court decision in April that severely weakened the Voting Rights Act. Several Republican-led Southern states have rushed to eliminate Democratic-held districts with significant Black populations that no longer enjoy robust legal protections.
Democrats, however, remain favored to win control of the U.S. House in November’s midterm elections, with President Donald Trump’s negative approval ratings dragging down his party.
New York is expected to be among several states, both Democratic- and Republican-controlled, that attempt to draw new maps ahead of the 2028 elections, ensuring the redistricting fight extends into another electoral cycle.
(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )
