New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has joined the fray among Democrat-led states fighting back against Texas' attempts at a mid-decade congressional redistricting plan that would allow Republicans to pick up additional seats during the 2026 elections.

President Donald Trump reportedly has championed a move to redraw Texas' 38 districts to help protect the party's narrow House majority in next year's midterm elections. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott recently called the state legislature into a special session to address the flooding disaster in Kerr County, among other issues that include redistricting. But Texas Democrats fled the state to prevent the Legislature from a quorum.

"If Republicans are willing to rewrite these rules to give themselves an advantage, then they are leaving us no choice," Hochul said at a news conference Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported. "We must do the same."

Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he will likely call a November special election, so voters can approve new congressional maps that will benefit Democrats in response to Texas' plan, the Journal reported. Democrat Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has said redistricting in his state is on the table.

Mid-decade redistricting — states typically redistrict after each 10-year census— is rare but not unprecedented. In 2003, Texas attempted to redraw its maps, prompting a walkout from state Senate Democrats. Republicans still won in their effort, gaining a majority in the state legislature that they have since held.

It also led to a 2006 Supreme Court decision in League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry that states can redraw maps mid-decade if not barred by state law or constitution and that there's no federal prohibition on mid-decade redistricting for partisan reasons unless it violates other statutes such as the Voting Rights Act.

Hochul, who was joined by some Democrat lawmakers from Texas, said Democrats would soon begin crafting legislation to amend the state constitution to allow the creation of new maps, the Journal reported. The state legislature would have to approve the measure twice in separate sessions. It could go on the ballot for voters to approve in the fall of 2027 and be enacted in time for congressional races in 2028, Hochul said.

Hochul said she is in favor of eliminating or making changes to the New York State Independent Redistricting Commission, a bipartisan body tasked with drawing congressional maps in the state. Hochul said she values the aspirations of the commission but noted that other states don't care about providing a fair redistricting process.

"I cannot ignore that the playing field has changed dramatically, and shame on us if we ignore that fact and cling tight to the vestiges of the past," Hochul said. "That era is over. Donald Trump eliminated that forever."