Maryland’s legislative leaders announced Tuesday that state lawmakers will gather for a special session next month to take up a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at shaping how congressional districts are drawn in the future — the latest move in a nationwide fight over partisan redistricting.
The Democratic-controlled Maryland General Assembly is set to convene on August 3, according to legislative leaders. The goal is to consider placing a constitutional amendment before voters this coming November — one that could eventually clear the path for a congressional map giving Democrats all eight of the state’s U.S. House seats. Currently, Democrats hold seven of those seats, with Rep. Andy Harris serving as the lone Republican in the delegation.
Legislative leaders did not release the specific wording of the proposed amendment in their announcement, but said it would “clarify” the state constitution in light of a 2022 court ruling. That ruling previously struck down a redistricting map that also would have made Harris’s district more competitive for a Democratic challenger.
For the amendment to reach voters, it must first pass both legislative chambers by a three-fifths margin. If voters then approve it in the November 3 general election, lawmakers could later revisit the congressional district maps under the revised constitutional guidelines.
House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk issued a statement supporting the session, saying: “Maryland needs a durable, transparent constitutional framework for congressional redistricting that reflects the evolving legal landscape. 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 fired back, calling the special session a blatant attempt to consolidate political power. Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready said in a statement: “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.”
Congressional district boundaries are normally redrawn every ten years following a census to reflect population shifts. However, Trump pushed Republicans last year to redraw maps mid-decade in an effort to limit midterm losses, prompting Democrats to pursue their own redistricting strategies in response.
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in late April further complicated the landscape by weakening the Voting Rights Act, giving Republicans new legal footing to reshape districts in Southern states with large minority populations that have historically supported Democrats. Republicans believe the new maps could yield as many as 10 additional House seats for their party this year.
Maryland had already attempted to address redistricting earlier this year. The state House passed a new map that would have made Democratic victories across all eight congressional seats more likely. However, the plan stalled in the state Senate, where Senate President Bill Ferguson expressed concern that the effort could be overturned in court.
Democratic Gov. Wes Moore voiced his backing for the renewed push, saying Tuesday in a statement that he was grateful for lawmakers’ “agreement to come back to finish the work.”
