The New York redistricting amendment cleared its first major hurdle on Wednesday, as state Democrats granted preliminary approval to a constitutional change that would let them redraw the state’s congressional boundaries ahead of the 2028 elections. The move sets the stage for what promises to be years of fierce partisan combat over whether deep-blue New York will enter the national fight over redistricting.

A Fight Years in the Making

The amendment cannot take effect on its own. Before it becomes reality, the Legislature must approve it a second time next year, and voters will then have to ratify it as a referendum in November 2027. Only after clearing all three steps could the change open the door to new district lines.

The stakes are enormous. The eventual ballot measure could shift as many as four Republican-held seats into the Democratic column, and both parties are expected to pour tens of millions of dollars, possibly far more, into the campaign surrounding it. Democrats are working to tilt the odds in their favor, with a separate bill expected to pass Thursday that would hand them control over how the referendum’s wording is framed.

Sharp Words on the Senate Floor

The debate grew heated, especially in the state Senate. Senate Deputy Leader Mike Gianaris defended the effort by pointing to new maps drawn in Republican-dominated states, arguing that Black members of Congress were being deliberately targeted. He anticipated the criticism from across the aisle, acknowledging that Republicans would urge Democrats not to “fight fire with fire.”

Republicans pushed back hard. Senator George Borrello accused Democrats of preparing to rig the system, predicting they would craft the referendum language just so, flood the airwaves with money, and try to persuade voters it served their interests.

How Far the Amendment Goes

After months of internal debate over how aggressive to be, Democrats settled on a far-reaching approach. The amendment would do more than simply permit new lines before the next Census. It would also permanently strip away the state’s existing restrictions on maps drawn to favor a particular party or protect incumbents.

Much of the Senate discussion turned into a debate over the past. Republicans repeatedly resurfaced old quotes from Gianaris and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, dating back roughly 15 years to when they joined former New York City Mayor Ed Koch in championing independent redistricting. The familiar refrain that “voters choose their elected officials rather than elected officials choose their voters” came up again and again.

Democrats countered that circumstances have shifted. Gianaris argued that New York isn’t playing the game alone, and that declining to respond when others follow a different set of rules would be irresponsible.

A Quieter Debate in the Assembly

The tone in the Assembly was notably calmer, largely because members were prohibited from discussing developments in other states. Democratic Assemblymember Chuck Lavine, who managed the bill there, repeatedly framed the amendment as a way to give the state flexibility and nimbleness as federal laws shift.

Both chambers passed the measure along party lines, with the Senate voting 38-22 and the Assembly 91-47.

One detail stood out. Several Democratic candidates for Congress, the very people most likely to be affected by the amendment, were absent during the debate, which came just weeks before New York’s primary election. Among the missing were Assemblymembers Alex Bores and Claire Valdez, both running for House seats, along with Micah Lasher, another congressional candidate who had helped launch discussions on the amendment last summer.

Echoes of Past Votes

The history lessons extended to recent ballot measures. Lawmakers revisited the 2014 amendment that voters approved, which currently constrains how districts are drawn, as well as a 2021 proposal that voters rejected and which would have given Democrats greater sway over the process.

Republican Assemblymember Michael Tannousis seized on that history, reminding colleagues that voters themselves approved the Independent Redistricting Commission in 2014. He dismissed the new effort as nothing more than an attempted power grab.

Democrats, however, insisted that past votes shouldn’t bar the public from weighing in on a different question in 2027. Gianaris closed with a challenge to opponents, urging them not to fear the measure but to put it on the ballot and let the people decide.