August 13, 2025
By Staff
Rep. Elise Stefanik is accusing Governor Kathy Hochul of hypocrisy and constitutional overreach in a new political ad released Friday, slamming the governor’s handling of New York’s redistricting process.
The ad, titled “Hochulmander the Hypocrite,” claims Hochul is leading an illegal partisan gerrymandering effort—despite voters previously rejecting similar moves at the ballot box.
“New York was ground zero for illegal gerrymandering led by Kathy Hochul the last two election cycles,” Stefanik said in a statement. “The New York State Constitution is crystal clear on redistricting, and voters have already rejected this power grab—twice.”
The redistricting battle has become a flashpoint as Democrats explore new congressional maps ahead of 2026. Hochul has defended her party’s redistricting push as a necessary response to Republican-led efforts in other states, saying, “These times call for fighting fire with fire.”
Court rulings and constitutional concerns
New York’s highest court struck down the Democratic-controlled legislature’s 2022 congressional maps, calling them unconstitutionally gerrymandered. The ruling forced a redrawing of district lines that contributed to GOP gains in the midterm elections, including Stefanik’s own rise in Republican leadership.
Now, Stefanik and other critics argue that Hochul and state Democrats are again ignoring constitutional limits by pushing for mid-decade redistricting—a move voters already rejected in a statewide referendum.
“They’ve been defeated before, and we’ll defeat them again,” Stefanik said. “New Yorkers deserve fair districts, not backroom maps designed to protect Democrat incumbents.”
The new ad is part of a broader messaging campaign as Stefanik continues to signal possible interest in a future statewide run.
-Read the story in Finger Lakes 1 HERE.
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