New York could lose two House seats due to population loss

The decrease could significantly affect the state because the House will now reapportion its 435 congressional seats based on population shifts. States that lose residents will also lose the corresponding number of House seats, potentially shifting the balance of power in a particular partisan direction. An analysis conducted by William Frey of the Brookings Institution indicates that traditionally Republican-leaning states, such as Texas, Florida, Arizona, and North Carolina, are poised to gain seats, while blue states, such as California, New York, and Illinois, are poised to lose representatives.

The population’s movement may be motivated in part by the coronavirus pandemic. Uncertainty surrounding New York City’s phased reopening plans caused many residents to flee, with more than 300,000 New Yorkers leaving their city homes between March 1 and Oct. 31.

Some red-state governors capitalized on the trend before the release of the census data projections, inviting blue-state residents to relocate to their states.

“Come to South Dakota!” tweeted South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to Minnesota bar owners who defied their state’s ban on in-person dining.

Early this year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott welcomed droves of Californians fleeing to his state, but he issued a stern warning against changing the region’s political makeup.

“Remember those high taxes, burdensome regulations, & socialistic agenda advanced in CA?” he tweeted. “We don’t believe in that.”

Census data is not scheduled to be released until 2021.