NY's Hochul vows response to Texas gerrymander

What happened

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) Monday announced plans to "fight fire with fire" in the mid-cycle redistricting battle unleashed by Texas Republicans and President Donald Trump.

Flanked by Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled their state to block a vote on a new congressional map that would flip five Democrat-held House seats to the GOP, Hochul said New York Democrats would explore "every option to redraw our state congressional lines as soon as possible" to stop Trump's "legal insurrection against our Capitol."

Who said what

Hochul's "escalation in the political arms race" comes at a "dramatic moment" in which New York is just "one front in a much larger battle nationwide," Politico said. Ohio and Florida Republicans are discussing following Texas' lead, while California and Illinois Democrats are considering redrawing their maps to counter the off-year GOP gerrymandering.

Republicans claim their party's Texas redistricting effort is "fair game and necessary to hold its national majority," The Wall Street Journal said. "California will not sit by idly and watch this democracy waste away," Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said Monday. A political map shown to California's congressional delegation Monday would "slash five Republican-held House seats in the liberal-leaning state while bolstering Democratic incumbents in other battleground districts," The Associated Press said.

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What next?

New York "faces a conundrum over mid-decade redistricting" due to scheduling rules and a voter-approved district-drawing commission, The Hill said. Hochul "notably agreed" that the redistricting commission "should be disbanded or changed." Newsom has proposed calling a special election in November so California's voters can decide on a Democrat-drawn map, but only if Texas follows through with its gerrymander.