New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned that she will also retaliate if Texas Republicans move forward with a redistricting initiative that eliminates five Democratic seats in the state.
"I won't sit by while Donald Trump and Texas Republicans try to steal our nation's future," Hochul said in a social media publication. She had already conveyed such a message last week, saying "all's fair in love and war."
"We are following the rules. We do redistricting every 10 years, but if there are other states that are violating the rules and trying to give themselves an advantage, all I say is I'll look at it closely with Hakeem Jeffries," she added then.
I won’t sit by while Donald Trump and Texas Republicans try to steal our nation’s future. https://t.co/6PL3j26rGB
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) July 30, 2025
With the warning, Hochul joined California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said on Wednesday that the state "won't sit back and watch this happen."
The messages come after Texas Republicans released the first draft of the state's congressional map on Wednesday. Concretely, the map targets members in Austin, Dallas and Houston metro areas and in South Texas, The Texas Tribune noted.
State Democrats are reportedly fundraising to face potential fines if they leave the state to block the initiative. The outlet detailed on Tuesday that, should lawmakers leave the state to prevent the Legislature from having a quorum to function, there would be donors willing to bankroll the effort.
The outlet noted that lawmakers would face a daily $500 fine, as well as the threat of arrest. They would also need to overcome the fact that Texas House rules forbid them from using campaign coffers to pay fines, but people involved in the strategy said there is already a strategy in place. About $1 million a month would be needed to finance the move.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, on his end, called for the arrest of Democrats leaving the state and offered his office to help "hunting down and compelling the attendance of anyone who abandons their office."
Democrats are using other tools at their disposal to fight against the move. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has begun deploying tens of thousands of advocates to fight against redistricting efforts.
ABC News detailed on Monday that the initiative involves 30,000 people who will make calls to "persuadable Republican Texas voters" in districts held by the GOP to discuss the initiative, already underway in a special session.
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