New York Democrats intensified their drive to redraw the state's congressional maps ahead of the 2028 elections on Tuesday when Rep. Joe Morelle visited Albany to lobby Gov. Kathy Hochul and top lawmakers.

Morelle, the ranking Democrat on the House Administration Committee and a former state assembly majority leader, met with Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris. He traveled at the direction of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to convey the party's urgency following a recent Supreme Court ruling.

"The voters now understand that this is in some ways an existential threat to the republic," Morelle said after the meeting. He leads the newly announced New York Democracy Project, which aims to build support for a state constitutional amendment allowing mid-decade redistricting.

The effort responds to last week's Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which limited the use of the Voting Rights Act's Section 2 to challenge maps as racially discriminatory. The 6-3 ruling has cleared the way for Republican-controlled states like Florida and Texas to redraw maps, potentially eliminating Democratic-held districts with Black voting majorities. Democrats argue they must counter these moves to protect representation.

New York's current maps stem from the 2020 census and an independent redistricting commission created by a 2014 constitutional amendment that bans partisan gerrymandering. The state delegation stands at 19 Democrats and 7 Republicans among 26 districts. Aggressive redrawing could reduce Republican seats to as few as three, targeting vulnerable incumbents like Reps. Mike Lawler in the Hudson Valley, Nicole Malliotakis on Staten Island, and those holding Long Island districts.

The proposed amendment, introduced last July by Gianaris and Assemblymember Micah Lasher, would permit legislative action on new maps if other states redraw theirs first while preserving the commission for decennial cycles. It requires passage in two consecutive legislative sessions followed by voter approval in a referendum, with Democrats eyeing a first vote before June's session end and a possible 2027 ballot measure.

Hochul expressed support, stating she refuses to be "handcuffed in a fight for our democracy." Morelle acknowledged his past vote for independent redistricting but said fairness requires reciprocity amid Republican actions in Southern states.

Republicans dismissed the push. Rep. Malliotakis called it a "complete joke." Past Democratic attempts to alter maps for the 2022 cycle were rejected by courts, leading to fairer lines that cost the party seats.

Democrats plan a vigorous campaign, drawing on national party resources after previous efforts faltered due to underfunding.