(Bloomberg) -- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said his office is exploring whether it can contest a U.S. Census Bureau tally that found the state would lose a congressional seat after coming in 89 residents short of the cutoff.
“Do I think it was accurate to within 89? No, and we’re looking at legal options,” Cuomo said at a press conference Tuesday.
Census Bureau figures released Monday found the state missed a threshold for keeping all its 27 seats in the House of Representatives starting in 2022. New York joined California and other Democrat-led states that will lose a political edge to Texas and other Republican-led ones.
On Tuesday, Cuomo shifted blame onto former President Donald Trump’s administration, which tried unsuccessfully to add a question on citizenship status to the form.
“You had people who were nervous to come forward,” Cuomo said. “I do believe the federal government had a chilling effect.”
The state can sue, but historically that hasn’t been an easy route. Utah did so after the 2000 census but was unsuccessful. Cuomo’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request to specify what legal options it’s considering.
Read More: N.Y. Loses House Seat Over 89 Residents. The Blame Game Begins
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