Maryland lawmakers are considering steps toward partisan redistricting ahead of the 2028 election cycle, according to initial reports. The measure remains under consideration and no final plan has been approved.

Under Maryland law, the General Assembly draws both congressional and state legislative districts after each federal census. Voters rejected a ballot initiative in November 2020 that would have created an independent citizens redistricting commission, leaving map-drawing authority with the Democratic-controlled legislature.

What the Right Is Saying

Republicans and redistricting opponents argue Maryland has some of the most heavily gerrymandered districts in the country. A federal court previously found that a 2011 map intentionally diluted Republican votes in the state's 6th Congressional District, though the U.S. Supreme Court later ruled partisan gerrymandering claims are not reviewable by federal courts.

GOP lawmakers say moving further toward partisan control would deepen concerns about fair representation and could invite legal challenges or reciprocal action in other states.

What the Left Is Saying

Democratic lawmakers who control the General Assembly argue that keeping redistricting within the elected legislature is legitimate and warn against unilateral changes that could weaken their party while Republican-led states draw favorable maps of their own.

Some reform-minded Democrats have backed independent commission proposals in past sessions, but legislative leaders have historically defended the current process as accountable to voters through elections.

What the Numbers Show

Maryland's eight-member U.S. House delegation has been split seven Democrats to one Republican since the last redistricting cycle, with Republicans holding only the reliably conservative 1st District on the Eastern Shore.

In November 2020, voters rejected the ballot measure that would have created an independent citizens redistricting commission by a substantial margin, according to official state election results.

The Bottom Line

The proposal is in its early stages and would require action from the General Assembly before any change could take effect for the 2028 cycle.

Watch for committee hearings and testimony from both parties, reform groups, and voting rights organizations as lawmakers weigh whether to alter Maryland's redistricting process.