Maryland House of Delegates Majority Leader, Del. David Moon, a Montgomery County Democrat, is drafting legislation designed to counter partisan congressional redistricting efforts in other states. Moon’s proposal would mandate that if any other state deviates from the norm of redrawing congressional districts only once every 10 years, Maryland would be required to do the same. This move comes as President Donald Trump is pushing states like Texas to redraw their maps outside the typical post-Census schedule, with Texas Governor Greg Abbott having called a special 30-day legislative session to consider redistricting, among other issues. Moon’s “basic idea” is that a reciprocal response from Democratic states could deter such out-of-cycle actions, thereby ensuring an “even playing field” for states. He views this as defending Maryland’s process, rather than engineering a specific electoral result.
Maryland’s current congressional delegation heavily favors Democrats with seven representatives to one Republican, limiting the potential for further Democratic gains through redistricting. Indeed, Maryland Democrats previously faced a court challenge over their last redistricting map after the 2020 Census, which a judge deemed an “extreme gerrymander,” leading to a revised map. The proposed legislation will not be considered until the General Assembly convenes in January. Read more in the Baltimore Banner.
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