Jeffries faces hypocrisy claim from CNN over New York redistricting plans

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, was pressed on the Democratic Party’s redistricting plans to counter Texas Republicans and whether they’re “hypocritical,” because of the history of his state of New York.

After Jeffries criticized Texas Republicans for successfully passing a new congressional map, CNN’s “State of the Union” host Dana Bash asked Jeffries about whether his own state planned to counter with redistricting. Jeffries confirmed that Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was going to explore options. Bash highlighted that Jeffries had previously fought against New York’s congressional maps being drawn by an independent commission in 2022.

“You praised New York’s state legislature for redrawing new ones,” Bash said. “Is criticizing Texas hypocritical given what you pushed for in your own state?”

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., attacked Texas Republicans for redistricting their state despite defending New York Democrats drawing a new map years earlier. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“So let’s go into the actual facts,” Jeffries responded. “The map was not drawn by the independent redistricting commission. The map was drawn by a special master who was put into place by a random right-wing judge in Steuben County. That was problem number one.” 

New York’s Democratic-controlled legislature enacted new congressional maps ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, rejecting the ones created by the bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission. The New York Court of Appeals later rejected the legislature’s maps, and a state trial court judge appointed a special master to draw maps used for 2022.

New York Democrats filed a new lawsuit claiming that the state legislature had the authority to redraw a new map for the remainder of the decade. Last year, the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Democratic Party, allowing them to pass new maps in 2024.

Jeffries told CNN’s Dana Bash that they are looking into options for redistricting New York. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“What’s important is that in New York, the redrawn map that was actually adopted by the legislature was adopted on a bipartisan basis,” Jeffries said. “Democrats and Republicans in the Assembly voted for the map because the redraw was fair. That’s not what’s happening in Texas. In Texas, this is a racial partisan gerrymander ordered by Donald Trump as part of an effort to rig the midterm elections. And we’re not going to let it happen.”

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Jeffries has supported other state Democrats’ efforts to redraw their congressional maps in retaliation for the new Texas maps. However, Bash questioned whether new maps could even be drawn for New York now.

“What can you do in New York? Is it even feasible to redraw the maps before the midterms?” Bash asked.

“Texas acted in a way to try and rig the congressional maps so they could add a couple of different seats to the Republican column,” Jeffries answered. “Understand that Republicans right now have the narrowest majority—just a three-seat majority of any party since the Great Depression—and they have no track record of accomplishment to be able to successfully run on, which is why they are running scared.”

He went on to compliment California after it “responded forcefully” to Texas Republicans without clarifying what New York plans to do.

Several Democrats have signaled retaliation in response to Republican redistricting efforts across the country, particularly in Texas. (Getty Images)

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“So is there not a plan yet in New York? Is that what I’m hearing?” Bash repeated.

“There’s a plan to respond as appropriately in New York and in other parts of the country as the circumstances dictate,” Jeffries said.