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Hochul calls Texas redistricting a ‘legal insurrection’ in Fox News interview
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Catalina Gonella
Published Aug 10, 2025
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Darren McGee/ Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Aug 10, 2025
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Gov. Kathy Hochul is labeling Republican-led redistricting in Texas a “legal insurrection” and a “blatant power grab,” sharpening her rhetoric as she urges New Yorkers to back a constitutional change allowing the state to redraw its congressional maps before 2032.
New York’s next planned redistricting is in 2032. But appearing on Fox News Sunday, Hochul defended a mid-decade redistricting process, which would require changing the state’s constitution, if it could happen at all.
"I'm not going to let our democracy be eroded away because there's a blatant power grab to maintain power in our nation's capital," Hochul said. "This is what I call a legal insurrection. Legal insurrection."
It’s a move that would go against more than 15 years of advocacy by progressives in her own party to depoliticize the process. Hochul blamed the push on the Republicans’ latest political maneuvers.
“These times call for fighting fire with fire. We didn't ask for this fight. I'm busy governing the State of New York, focusing on public safety and affordability. But why are we here today?” she said. “Because Donald Trump looked at the polls… they know they're going to lose next year. So now they're desperate.”
It’s an argument she made during multiple television appearances earlier in the week, signaling a more combative posture than she’s shown in the past ahead of her reelection bid next year.
The U.S. House of Representatives is currently split 219 Republicans to 212 Democrats, with four vacancies. Texas Republicans have said they aim to redraw their lines to give them an advantage in five more districts in a move that has triggered Democrats across the country to threaten to do the same.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has defended the process, saying lawmakers “find a way to disagree agreeably and behave like adults” when they lose votes, and accused Democrats of fleeing the state to block legislation they oppose.
“Texas, knock it off, we'll knock it off. Let's get back to governing,” Hochul said Sunday, speaking directly to legislators in the Lone Star State. “But you want to play these games? We're not going to sit on the sidelines. We're New Yorkers. We fight back.”
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Catalina Gonella
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