Texas Republicans are considering redrawing the state’s Congressional districts – for a second time this decade – in an attempt to help secure a Republican majority in the House of Representatives when the 2026 elections roll around.

We disagree with the move. The way to secure a continued Republican majority is through policy, not political games. The only way anything should change in Texas is if the change is court-ordered. Lines have been drawn and, in our opinion, both parties should abide by them.

Of course, New York Democrats couldn’t stand having the moral high ground in the debate. In response to Texas’ shenanigans, Michael Gianaris, the state Senate’s majority leader is pushing legislation that would allow New York to redistrict more than once every 10 years if another state does so first. What’s good for the political goose is good for the political gander.

Democrats have to change the New York constitution, something that is time-consuming but not that hard to do. The bill has to be approved by the state Legislature in consecutive sessions and then approved on a statewide ballot referendum. That’s eminently doable in New York state. Here’s where things get sticky. New York is supposed to create an Independent Redistricting Commission, something approved by state voters in 2014 with bipartisan agreement. The commission isn’t perfect. Its composition virtually guarantees a deadlocked commission, which means Democrats will draw congressional lines however they want to. But simply abandoning the constitution is a bad idea, in our opinion. The Independent Redistricting Commission is flawed, but it is the law of the land.

“I’m tired of fighting this fight with my hand tied behind my back,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said during a news conference Monday. “To think we’re going to do this with a purity test … the reason we’re able to draw the lines is we’re Democrats and the majority of the people in this state elected us to be leaders.”

Talk about abandoning the moral high ground. Remember this incident when either party gets preachy about their high-minded ideals or when party officials start talking about morals. Republicans fear they’re losing their grip on power and are making the rules up as they go. Democrats are no better. High ideals and soaring rhetoric mean nothing when the question of who controls the levers of power is up for grabs. Rather than taking the moral high ground, both parties are in a race to the gutter – and they’re dragging us along with them.