Key facts
- Maryland lawmakers are holding a special session to consider a constitutional amendment for partisan redistricting.
- The proposed amendment aims to allow Democrats to draw congressional maps favoring their party.
- This initiative could potentially help Democrats secure an additional U.S. House seat by 2028.
- The proposal requires approval by a three-fifths vote in both legislative chambers and then by voters.
- Republicans have criticized the move as a partisan gerrymander and a power grab.
Maryland lawmakers are set to begin a special session to consider a constitutional amendment that would facilitate partisan redistricting, potentially allowing Democrats to gain an additional U.S. House seat by 2028. The current congressional map in the heavily Democratic state gives Democrats control of seven of its eight House districts.
State Senate President Bill Ferguson, who previously blocked a redistricting initiative, has changed his stance following a U.S. Supreme Court decision in late April that weakened the Voting Rights Act. He views this decision as providing grounds for Republicans to reconfigure districts in Southern states, which he described as a "painful" unwinding of democratic norms.
The proposed amendment seeks to clarify that parameters such as compactness and regard for natural boundaries apply only to state legislative districts, not congressional ones. If approved by a three-fifths vote in both legislative chambers, the amendment would be put to a statewide vote on November 3. If passed by voters, lawmakers could then redraw congressional maps for the 2028 election cycle.
Republicans, including Representative Andy Harris, have voiced strong opposition, calling the move a blatant power grab and a setup for gerrymandering that would disenfranchise rural voters. House Minority Leader Jason Buckel expressed concerns about limitations on testimony during the special session, deeming any bill hearing a "meaningful formality."
Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat, supports the initiative, framing it as a necessary response to Republican redistricting efforts in other states and emphasizing that voters will have the final say. This development is part of a broader national battle over redistricting that began a year ago, with both parties seeking to reshape congressional maps to their advantage. New York's Democratic-led Legislature is also considering a similar amendment to allow for mid-decade redistricting.