Maryland lawmakers to meet in August for special session on redistricting

Maryland lawmakers will meet for a special session in August to consider a constitutional amendment governing future congressional redistricting, legislative leaders announced Tuesday, following a failed effort earlier this year to redraw the state's maps to boost Democrats.

The move is the latest in the national battle over partisan redistricting, which has reshaped the U.S. House map ahead of this year's midterms and, in states including Maryland, could carry into the 2028 election cycle.

The session will focus on redistricting

The Democratic-led Maryland General Assembly will meet from Aug. 3 to 5, legislative leaders said, to consider sending a constitutional amendment to voters this November, intended to help clear the way later for a potential 8-0 Congressional map.

Democrats already hold a 7-1 advantage in the state's U.S. House delegation; Rep. Andy Harris is the only GOP representative.

Legislative leaders did not include the text of the proposed amendment in their news release. But they said it would clarify the state constitution as it relates to a 2022 court ruling that struck down a previous map, which also would have made Harris's district easier for a Democrat to win.

If approved by a three-fifths vote of both chambers, the amendment would go before voters in the Nov. 3 general election. If approved there, lawmakers could eventually revisit the congressional maps for a future election cycle under the constitution's new parameters.

"Maryland needs a durable, transparent constitutional framework for congressional redistricting that reflects the evolving legal landscape," House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk said in a statement. "This special session gives the General Assembly the opportunity to respond thoughtfully to recent court decisions while ensuring that Maryland voters have the final say on any proposed constitutional changes."

Maryland Republicans criticize special session

Maryland Republicans blasted the move as a power grab.

"One Republican Congressman represents hundreds of thousands of Marylanders who deserve a voice in Washington. This special session is designed to erase that voice and hand national Democrats another seat in the U.S. House," Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready said in a statement.

Voting districts are typically redrawn once a decade after a census to account for population changes. But Trump urged Republicans last year to redraw districts mid-decade to try to prevent midterm losses, and Democrats have responded by pursuing their own partisan redistricting.

A U.S. Supreme Court decision in late April then weakened the landmark Voting Rights Act, offering new grounds for Republicans to reconfigure districts in Southern states with large minority populations that have elected Democrats.

Republicans think they could net up to 10 additional House seats under the new districts this year.

Maryland initially took up the issue earlier this year. 

House-approved new redistricting map

The state House approved a new map that would have made it easier for Democrats to win all eight congressional seats. But that plan was left to die in the state Senate, where Senate President Bill Ferguson argued the move could backfire under judicial review.

Democratic Gov. Wes Moore has been vocal in his support for a renewed redistricting effort and said Tuesday in a statement that he appreciated lawmakers' "agreement to come back to finish the work."