Maryland House approves new congressional map as Senate leaders warn of risks

Maryland House lawmakers voted Monday to advance a new congressional map backed by Democrats, a move that has drawn resistance from state Senate leaders who warn it could carry political and legal risks.

The proposal, approved by the Democratic-controlled House, is designed to reshape Maryland’s lone Republican-held congressional district and could alter the balance of the state’s U.S. House delegation.

Democrats currently hold seven of Maryland’s eight seats in Congress. Under the new map, party leaders believe they would be better positioned to unseat Republican Rep. Andy Harris and potentially claim all eight districts.

House leaders moved forward with the plan at the urging of Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, who has pointed to mid-decade redistricting efforts in other states as justification for revisiting Maryland’s boundaries outside the usual census cycle.

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The push comes as President Donald Trump last year encouraged Republican-led states, including Texas, to redraw congressional maps in hopes of shoring up the GOP’s narrow House majority.

Del. C.T. Wilson, a Democrat sponsoring the bill, said the changes are necessary “to help ensure that this administration finally has a Congress that puts his power in check.”

Republicans opposed to the map focused on how Harris’ district, which largely covers Maryland’s rural Eastern Shore, would be reconfigured to reach across the Chesapeake Bay and take in more Democratic-leaning voters.

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“It is about nothing except party politics,” said Del. Jason Buckel, the House minority leader.

Democratic Del. Marc Korman countered that similar geographic configurations have existed before, noting that the district crossed the bay multiple times beginning in the 1960s and that Republican candidates — including Harris — prevailed during those periods.

Despite House approval, Senate President Bill Ferguson has repeatedly cautioned that targeting Harris’ seat could place Democratic-held districts at risk and invite renewed court challenges.

Ferguson has pointed to a 2021 congressional map that was struck down by a judge as an example of how aggressive redistricting can backfire. Maryland ultimately adopted revised boundaries in 2022 after litigation was dropped.

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The Senate president has also warned that reopening the process could disrupt Maryland’s election timeline, with a Feb. 24 filing deadline and a June 23 primary approaching, and could leave final district lines in the hands of the courts.

Maryland’s debate mirrors broader redistricting battles playing out nationwide, as both parties attempt to gain advantage ahead of the next election cycle. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he plans to call a special legislative session on redistricting in April.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.