Governor Wes Moore announced Thursday that he will keep pressing for a new congressional redistricting plan after the Maryland Senate voted 23-12 not to move forward with the proposed legislation.
The Senate’s decision comes as the state prepares for the 2024 congressional elections, and follows a 2021 map drawn by a bipartisan commission that Democrats say favors incumbents while Republicans argue it does not reflect recent demographic changes.
What the Left Is Saying
Senate President Bill Ferguson (D) said the Senate’s inaction undermines efforts to create districts that reflect the state’s growing diversity, noting that African‑American and Hispanic populations have risen 2.8% and 4.1% respectively since the 2020 Census.
The Maryland League of Women Voters issued a statement supporting Governor Moore, arguing that a fresh map would improve community representation and reduce partisan gerrymandering, and urged the Senate to reconsider the legislation.
What the Right Is Saying
Senate Minority Leader Michael Hough (R) argued that the proposed map would disrupt established district boundaries and could advantage Democratic candidates, saying the Senate acted responsibly by not rushing a partisan‑driven plan.
The Maryland Republican Party released a press release warning that the governor’s push could lead to costly litigation and that the current map, while imperfect, was adopted through a bipartisan process and should remain in place for the upcoming election.
What the Numbers Show
According to the 2020 Census, Maryland’s population increased by 2.5% to 6.1 million, with the Washington‑suburban counties seeing the highest growth rates. The state currently has eight congressional districts; demographic shifts could justify redrawing at least two districts to better align with population changes.
A recent analysis by the Maryland Policy Institute found that under the 2021 map, the Democratic Party holds a 60% advantage in the statewide popular vote for congressional races, while the new map proposed by Governor Moore would reduce that advantage to roughly 53%, according to the institute’s modeling.
The Bottom Line
Governor Moore’s commitment to a new map sets up a likely clash between the executive office and the Senate, and could lead to legal challenges or a special legislative session. Observers will watch whether the governor seeks a court order, uses executive authority, or negotiates a compromise with Senate leaders as the 2024 elections approach.