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In a significant decision, Maryland Democrats have declined to pursue a new congressional map designed to enhance their prospects in the upcoming midterm elections. This represents a setback for Governor Wes Moore, who had championed the proposal as a countermeasure to President Donald Trump’s redistricting efforts.
The proposal’s demise became official as the state legislative session ended late Monday night, falling victim to internal party discord. Ultimately, the Maryland Senate, controlled by Democrats, chose to leave the bill in committee. This decision stemmed from concerns that the proposal might not withstand judicial scrutiny.
This mid-decade redistricting initiative gained momentum after Trump encouraged Texas, governed by Republicans, to redraw its map last year. The trend is expected to continue, with Republicans aiming to alter congressional boundaries during a special legislative session in Florida, while Democrats are pushing for a redistricting referendum in Virginia.
Despite these efforts, Democrats will not see an immediate advantage in Maryland. The proposed map could have facilitated the removal of the state’s sole Republican representative in the U.S. House, but that opportunity will not materialize for now.
Governor Moore, who is viewed as a potential presidential candidate for 2028, expressed his disagreement with Maryland’s state Senate President, Bill Ferguson, over the necessary strategies to counter Trump’s influence.
Ferguson has said redistricting could actually cost Democrats seats in Maryland because, in the inevitable legal battle that would ensue, a court could order a new map that would be even less favorable to the party. He refused to budge despite pressure from Moore and U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
While speaking at National Action Network in New York on Thursday with the Rev. Al Sharpton, Moore complained that Trump was urging some states to redraw maps to favor Republicans, while telling other states to “sit on your hands.”
“Don’t play with me,” Moore said. “And if the rest of the country is going to have this conversation about mid-decade redistricting, then so should Maryland, and so should every other state. Because until it is done nationally, we have to make sure that this election is not stolen right before our face so this pain is made permanent.”
But while Moore named a panel in November that proposed the new map for Maryland, the governor could not prevail on the heavily Democratic Maryland Senate to approve it.
When it was before the Democratic-controlled General Assembly, the governor told lawmakers in January that the state needed to act to counter what he called “political redlining” by Trump in other states at the cost of Black representation in Congress.
Moore, who is the nation’s only serving Black governor, compared Trump’s push for Republican-friendly redistricting to discriminatory housing practices, saying the president and his allies “are doing everything in their power to silence the voices and trying to eliminate Black leadership — elected leadership — all over this country.”
Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 in Maryland and already hold a 7-1 advantage in the state’s U.S. House delegation, with Rep. Andy Harris the lone GOP representative.
The Maryland House passed legislation containing a new map in early February, but the measure ran into opposition from Ferguson.
The senator pointed out a map adopted in 2021 that would have made it easier to flip Harris’ seat was ruled unconstitutional by a judge who called it “a product of extreme partisan gerrymandering.” Maryland passed another map in 2022, and the parties dropped their legal fight.
Meanwhile, here’s a look at what’s happening in other states this month in mid-decade redistricting efforts:
Florida
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has scheduled a special session next week for the Republican-dominated Legislature to draw new congressional districts.
Currently, 20 of Florida’s 28 congressional seats are held by Republicans.
Congressional districts in Florida that are redrawn to favor Republicans could carry big consequences for Trump’s plan to reshape districts in GOP-led states, which could give Republicans a shot at winning additional seats in the midterm elections and retaining control of the closely divided U.S. House.
Virginia
Early balloting has already begun for a vote on a constitutional amendment for a new congressional map in Virginia next week.
After a cascade of redistricting efforts, Republicans believe they can win a combined nine more U.S. House seats in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, while Democrats think they can win a total of six more seats in California and Utah. Virginia could give Democrats an extra four seats.