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Maryland lawmakers moved rapidly Friday to advance a new congressional redistricting plan after a gubernatorial advisory panel narrowly recommended changes that would significantly reshape the state’s lone Republican-held district.
Just three days after the Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission voted 3–2 to recommend a new “concept map,” legislation based on that proposal was drafted and formally introduced in the House during Friday morning’s session. The bill is sponsored by Del. C.T. Wilson, a Democrat from Charles County who served on the advisory commission.
The measure could be on an expedited path through the General Assembly, even as opponents warn the proposal is politically motivated and legally vulnerable.
The Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission met behind closed doors Tuesday and voted 3–2 to forward the concept map to lawmakers. Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat from Baltimore City, and Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss, a Republican, voted against making a recommendation.
The commission’s plan redraws all eight of Maryland’s congressional districts but makes its most dramatic changes to the 1st District, the state’s only Republican seat, held by Rep. Andy Harris.
Under current boundaries, the 1st District encompasses the entire Eastern Shore and stretches into Cecil and Harford counties and part of eastern Baltimore County. The proposed map would cut off part of the upper Eastern Shore and instead extend the district across the Chesapeake Bay into Anne Arundel County, then north and west into Howard County to include a portion of Columbia.
Democrats on the commission argued the changes would better balance population and reflect demographic shifts. Republicans and some Democrats opposed to the plan said it would dilute the voting power of Eastern Shore residents.
Wilson’s bill is expected to be referred to the House Rules Committee. That committee scheduled a hearing for 1 p.m. Monday, though no agenda had been posted as of Friday.
If lawmakers fast-track the measure, it could clear committee and return to the House floor as early as Tuesday, putting it on pace for a final House vote by midweek. That timeline would allow the bill to reach the Senate by next Friday.
Senate opponents, however, have already vowed to block the plan.
The concept map approved by the advisory commission does not yet meet constitutional population requirements, according to critics.
Federal law requires congressional districts to have populations as close to equal as possible under the “one person, one vote” standard. As drawn, the concept map varies by more than 1,000 residents between the largest and smallest districts, a discrepancy that would likely fail judicial review.
Supporters of the bill say the legislation introduced Friday is expected to correct that issue by adjusting boundaries to eliminate population imbalances.
Still, opponents argue the broader redrawing — particularly of the 1st District — could invite lawsuits alleging partisan gerrymandering.
The changes would increase the number of Democratic-leaning voters in the district, potentially making it more difficult for Harris, a conservative Republican and chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, to retain the seat.
Gov. Wes Moore has not publicly endorsed the specific map but convened the advisory commission as part of a broader effort to revisit Maryland’s congressional lines.
The push in the House comes as Moore declared a state of preparedness Thursday ahead of a potentially significant winter storm forecast to impact the state over the weekend.
Maryland has a long history of aggressive congressional redistricting, with both parties using mapmaking power to their advantage when in control of state government. Past maps have repeatedly drawn legal challenges, including cases that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
The current effort unfolds as Democrats control the governorship and both chambers of the General Assembly, while Republicans hold just one of the state’s eight U.S. House seats.
Should the bill advance, the most consequential fight is expected in the Senate, where opponents say they will attempt to stop the plan — or force changes — before it can reach the governor’s desk.
