Maryland Governor Launches Redistricting Commission To Look at State’s Congressional Map

Maryland Governor Wes Moore is launching a redistricting commission to look at redrawing the state’s congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. He is just the latest Democrat to look at redrawing his state’s maps after Texas Republicans kicked off a gerrymandering war across the country over the summer. Mr. Moore, who has a Democratic supermajority in the state legislature, has said for months that he would leave all options on the table when it comes to redistricting. Maryland currently has one GOP representative in the House, Congressman Andy Harris. “My commitment has been clear from day one — we will explore every avenue possible to make sure Maryland has fair and representative maps,” Mr. Moore said in a statement Tuesday. “This commission will ensure the people are heard. I thank those who have raised their hands to lead this process, and I am confident in their ability to gather the views and perspectives of a broad range of voices throughout the state.”The commission will be led by Senator Angela Alsobrooks, who was elected to the U.S. Senate last year after serving as a county executive. A former state attorney general, Brian Frosh, and the mayor of Cumberland Ray Morriss have also been appointed. Democratic leaders in the state legislature will also make appointments. The official website for the commission states that the purpose will be “to engage Marylanders, receive public comment, and provide recommendations to ensure our Congressional maps are representative and fair.”In a statement, Ms. Alsobrooks says the GOP “is trying to rig the rules in response to their terrible polling.”“Let me be clear: Maryland deserves a fair map that represents the will of the people. That’s why I’m proud to chair this commission. Our democracy depends on all of us standing up in this moment,” she said. The problem for Maryland Democrats is that one legislative leader is already signaling opposition to Mr. Moore’s plan. State senate president Bill Ferguson — a Democrat — said in a letter to colleagues last week that it would be too big a “risk” to push to eliminate the state’s one red House seat. Mr. Ferguson argues that while the desire to fight back against Republicans’ redistricting push is noble, there is a chance that the courts could strike down the new map, imperiling the seven solidly Democratic seats they already hold. “In Maryland, 31.5% of registered voters are registered Republicans. We do not know how a court would assess a revised midcycle map and whether the court would use party affiliation as a measure,” Mr. Ferguson wrote. “We do, however, have certainty under the current map; that evaporates the moment we start down the path of redistricting mid-cycle with an unclear legal landscape and an even more unclear legal timeline.”The redistricting fight currently playing out across the country is favoring Republicans, but only slightly. Texas Republicans have likely gained five seats through their news maps, though California Democrats are likely to negate that once their ballot measure is passed Tuesday to allow the legislature to redistrict the state. Indiana Republicans are being pressured to redraw their maps to eliminate two Democratic seats, though the president of the state senate has consistently said that he does not have the votes to do so. Missouri has eliminated one Democratic seat, though voters are now gathering petitions to hold a statewide vote on whether or not to reverse the legislature’s actions. If Mr. Ferguson relents, then Maryland Democrats could also counteract the Missouri map change.

Maryland Governor Launches Redistricting Commission To Look at State’s Congressional Map

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