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A House GOP lawmaker from New York is accusing Democratic leaders in his state of having a hypocritical response to redistricting efforts in Texas and other red states.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., one of three House Republicans nationwide who won a district that President Donald Trump lost in 2024, has been vocal about his opposition to the growing redistricting war across the U.S.
“I think obviously across the board, you know, I don’t agree with this effort,” Lawler told Fox News Digital of the push in both red and blue states. “But I think we also have to look at this holistically – New York did mid-decade redistricting last year.”
“So, for [Gov.] Kathy Hochul and Democrats like [House Minority Leader] Hakeem Jeffries and [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer to decry what’s happening in Texas, they’re full of s—. They literally did it last year.”
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The method for drawing congressional maps does vary between states, with some relying more on their state legislatures, while others – like New York – rely on advice from independent bodies known as redistricting commissions.
The Empire State’s bipartisan redistricting commission approved a new map in early 2024 that largely affected three congressional seats in upstate and central New York – two of which flipped from red to blue in last year’s elections, while the third remained in Democratic hands.
It came after New York State’s highest court ordered new congressional maps to be drawn for the 2024 election, in what was regarded as a major victory for Democrats after they lost a number of suburban seats in the 2022 midterms.
Two of those seats have since flipped back to blue in last year’s races, though they saw no significant changes in the latest re-draw.
“New York redrew its maps, getting a bogus court order to do so after stacking the Court of Appeals…in an effort to pick up five seats. They picked up four,” Lawler said, referencing the four total seats Democrats won in 2024 that they lost in 2022.
“So for them to act as though they are holier than thou and that they didn’t actually do this first is laughable. And when you look at Texas, you know they legally can do it. New York legally cannot. And that’s the difference.”
Lawler warned, however, that the growing redistricting fight could have negative implications for representation across the country.
“When you look at these congressional seats, I mean, they’ve become so hyperpartisan that there’s very few districts that are actually competitive,” he said.
“I think the larger point is that the American people should want more competitive races, because it forces members of Congress to make sure that they are appealing to a broader swath of voters in their districts. If they only have to worry about a primary to get elected, then they’re only playing to the base instead of the broader middle.”
Lawler said he would soon be introducing a bill to ban partisan gerrymandering nationwide, as part of a larger package aimed at fixing what he saw as longstanding issues with Congress.
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“There’s also other reforms as part of it that I think are essential, including term limits for members of Congress. And, you know, when you’re talking about the census, you know, illegal immigrants should not be counted as part of the census – lawful permanent residents and legal, you know, visa holders, among others, should be – but illegals should not be,” Lawler said.
“I think most Americans agree with that. So there’s a number of provisions that will be part of the legislation that I’m putting together.”
When reached for comment on Lawler’s criticism, Viet Shelton, spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), told Fox News Digital, “We know Lawler never minds bending the knee to Donald Trump, but did he forget that Trump demanded Texas Republicans redraw their congressional map to steal seats because they know their party can’t win on the merits? Stop whining.”
The interview comes as Texas is readying to adopt a new congressional map that could give Republicans as many as five new seats in the 2026 midterms.
California leaders have pledged to press for new maps to give Democrats a corresponding advantage, while a host of states on both sides, including New York, are signaling that they’re also not ruling out similar moves.
Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for Jeffries, Schumer, and Hochul for comment but did not hear back.
