With help from Amira McKee
YOU STARTED IT:
In a bold display of political hospitality, Governor Kathy Hochul welcomed six Texas lawmakers to the Capitol this morning. However, amid this northern warmth, she delivered a clear message to New York’s good government advocates: your concerns are irrelevant.
These Texas Democrats are on the run from their own legislature, where a Trump-backed redistricting scheme threatens to secure five additional Republican congressional seats. Hochul’s actions underscore her growing role in the escalating gerrymandering arms race across the nation, as reported by POLITICO’s Bill Mahoney.
After treating the Texans to a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, and sausage, Hochul convened a press conference in the Capitol’s Red Room. There, she criticized New York’s own redistricting process for lacking the necessary partisanship and openly endorsed the idea of gerrymandering New York’s congressional maps.
“I’m tired of fighting this fight with my hands tied behind my back,” Hochul said, in response to questions regarding potential reforms or the disbandment of New York’s independent redistricting committee. “If Republicans take over the Legislature? They can have at it. But until then, we’re in charge.”
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie echoed her sentiments, asserting that “it’s hard to preach fair play when your adversaries are playing dirty and employing every trick in the book to undermine democracy.”
Hochul is advocating for a constitutional amendment to authorize New York to modify its congressional lines. However, even if voters approve this amendment, its implementation would be a lengthy process, likely affecting maps no sooner than the 2028 election.
“We’re sick and tired of being pushed around when other states don’t share our aspirations,” the governor declared.
In a surprising twist, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, the architect of the 2012 state constitutional language that now restricts the Democrats’ ability to swiftly counter Texas, expressed skepticism about Hochul’s aggressive approach. “What Texas is doing is just gross gerrymandering, and it drives the public away from government,” Cuomo remarked during an unrelated campaign event in Manhattan. He pointed out that any attempts to implement similar tactics in New York would take years, rendering them irrelevant by the time they could be enacted.
The six Texas House Democrats, whose colleagues had recently relocated to Illinois, mentioned that their stop in Albany was merely a pit stop on their way to meet other Democratic governors. They remained tight-lipped about their next destination and their plans to stay outside Texas until August 19, when the state’s special legislative session ends. If they don’t, Texas Governor Greg Abbott could promptly call for another special session to revive the redistricting bill.
“Running to states like New York and Illinois to protest redistricting is akin to running to Wisconsin to complain about cheese; it’s absolutely absurd,” Abbott quipped in response to the lawmakers’ Albany visit. “New York and Illinois have already executed redistricting to eliminate Republicans.”
Hochul’s unabashed promotion of Democratic gerrymandering in retaliation to the Texas GOP’s measures has drawn sharp criticism from New York Republicans, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is contemplating a run against Hochul for governor. “The Worst Governor in America needs to be reminded that she conveniently forgot to mention to the out-of-state radical Democrats at her press conference that she lost not once, but TWICE in her attempts to illegally draw gerrymandered lines in New York,” Stefanik tweeted.
John Kaehny, the executive director of the reform group Reinvent Albany, characterized Hochul’s strategy as a misguided attempt to justify destructive actions in the name of saving democracy. “The state of New York’s motto is Excelsior, meaning ‘Ever Upwards,’ not ‘We’ll Race Texas to The Bottom and Disenfranchise Large Swaths of New York Voters,’” he remarked. “Gerrymandering is among the most harmful ways to nullify the votes of countless citizens, which stands in stark opposition to the principles of democracy.” — Jason Beeferman
‘THE SAFEST BIG CITY’:
In Brooklyn today, Mayor Eric Adams heralded a decline in crime rates, branding last month as “the safest July in our subway system in recorded history.”
Adams, a retired NYPD captain who campaigned on a platform centered on restoring safety to a pandemic-affected New York City, is revisiting crime statistics amid persistent public safety anxieties and dismal polling numbers.
“New York City is mourning this week following the tragic loss of four innocent lives, including an NYPD officer, in a senseless shooting in Midtown,” Adams stated. “While we grieve, we must also transform our sorrow into action; it’s the least we can do to honor the victims. This tragic incident will forever mark our city, but it occurs within a broader context of hope, where the courageous NYPD continues to reduce crime.”
Data released today by the NYPD reveals that the first seven months of 2025 saw the fewest shooting incidents and victims in recorded history. Overall, the department’s seven major crime categories, including murder and robbery, have seen a 5.6 percent decline from the previous year.
While Adams has attributed persistent public safety fears to media narratives, a POLITICO analysis indicates that crime rates in the city have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
During a press conference, Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch credited their success to a focused approach on illegal gun removal and dismantling gang operations.
Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, who currently leads in recent polls, has proposed alternative policies regarding policing, particularly in light of the mass shooting that claimed the life of an NYPD officer last week. Mamdani is distancing himself from previous calls to “defund the police,” yet his relationship with the NYPD remains a complex matter.
Adams criticized Mamdani’s calls to disband the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group, a controversial unit tasked with managing protests and significant disturbances, including the recent mass shooting. “We fundamentally differ in our philosophies on public safety. There’s a reason crime rates are down and jobs are up; reality often clashes with idealism when lives are at stake,” Adams asserted during his press conference on the crime statistics. — Amira McKee
IF YOU PAY THEM, THEY WILL COME:
In a bid to bolster NYPD recruitment and retention, Cuomo unveiled a public safety proposal aimed at attracting new officers.
The former governor suggested providing new recruits with a $15,000 signing bonus, along with additional retention bonuses throughout their careers. He also proposed reinstating retired officers, allowing them to collect both their pensions and salaries. Furthermore, Cuomo advocated for a city-run scholarship fund to cover tuition for officers lacking a bachelor’s degree.
This generous compensation package — projected to cost $250 million over five years — aims to help the city recruit an additional 5,000 police officers, Cuomo argued.
“It’s time to construct a new New York City based on our current challenges and insights,” Cuomo stated.
During his press briefing, he also took aim at Mamdani, scrutinizing the state legislator’s past support for police defunding. While Mamdani has indicated he would sustain funding for the department, he proposes establishing a new Department of Community Safety to handle situations like mental health crises.
“You either spoke the truth then or you do now, but you cannot reconcile those conflicting statements,” Cuomo remarked.
Cuomo further distanced himself from the 33-year-old democratic socialist by suggesting an expansion of the Strategic Response Group, which has faced controversy, while maintaining its role in managing protests. In contrast, Mamdani aims to disband the unit and create a new entity focused on responding to emergencies, such as last week’s Midtown mass shooting. — Joe Anuta
ON YOUR RIGHT:
Looking to consolidate support from the right, Adams plans to host a fireside chat next week with the conservative Manhattan Institute as he embarks on his uphill independent reelection campaign.
The event, titled “Governing in NYC,” will feature a discussion between Adams and Manhattan Institute President Reihan Salam on August 14 at the Hilton Midtown. The think tank has welcomed Adams’ election as a departure from the de Blasio era, although the mayor has largely kept his distance from conservative allies.
The Institute has been influential in shaping critiques of DEI initiatives and gender identity protections.
Additionally, Adams is rekindling ties with right-wing radio host Sid Rosenberg, who is supportive of Trump, as reported by the Daily News.
It remains to be seen if newly appointed Manhattan Institute fellow Danielle Sassoon, who resigned from her position as acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan rather than comply with a DOJ order to drop a corruption case involving Adams, will attend. — Jeff Coltin
— STATEN ISLAND 4 MAMDANI: Democratic leaders in New York City’s most conservative borough are backing Zohran Mamdani over Andrew Cuomo. (New York Post)
— NY POST TAKES LA: The New York Post is set to launch a new daily newspaper in Los Angeles called “The California Post” in early 2026. (Axios)
— ‘BASIC DECENCY’: Hochul responded to Texas Senator Ted Cruz after he criticized her for wearing a head covering to the funeral of a slain Muslim NYPD officer. (New York Times)
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