Maryland lawmakers will kick off a special session Monday to consider a first step in a partisan redistricting initiative that could help Democrats pick up an additional U.S. House seat by 2028.
House Bill 2100 and Senate Bill 2100 would state that Maryland’s constitutional requirements for compact districts and natural boundaries apply only to General Assembly seats, not congressional districts.
The proposed constitutional amendment would also allow lawmakers to give the Supreme Court of Maryland original jurisdiction over challenges to congressional maps.
Both chambers must approve the proposal by a three-fifths majority. It would then go before voters in the November 3 general election.
Voter approval would not create new districts immediately. Instead, it would change the state constitutional framework under which lawmakers could consider a new map for 2028.
Democrats currently hold seven of Maryland’s eight US House seats. Republican Representative Andy Harris represents the Eastern Shore-based 1st Congressional District.
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A Maryland judge struck down a Democratic-drawn map in 2022, describing it as a product of “extreme partisan gerrymandering.”
The replacement map preserved Harris’ Republican-leaning district. Democratic Senate President Bill Ferguson previously opposed another mid-decade redistricting attempt.
However, he said his position shifted after the US Supreme Court’s April 29 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which narrowed the application of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
Republicans called the proposal a power grab. House Minority Leader Jason Buckel also criticised restrictions on testimony during the special session.
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The House committee hearing was scheduled for noon EDT on August 3, according to the Maryland General Assembly calendar.
