Overview
- The Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission voted to proceed with recommending new congressional maps, invited public-drawn proposals for two weeks, and plans to publish submissions after Christmas before holding two more meetings.
- Senate President Bill Ferguson, a commission member, denounced the process as pre-determined and lacking transparency, citing testimony and polling that he says show broad opposition to mid-cycle redistricting.
- Gov. Wes Moore defended the effort as a Maryland-led, transparent process and rejected suggestions of pressure from national party leaders.
- Republicans signaled court challenges, with Del. Kathy Szeliga vowing to sue, as GOP leaders labeled the commission’s work partisan and unnecessary.
- Any map still faces steep hurdles in the Senate where Ferguson’s office says a bill could be stalled in rules committee, and reporting notes a potential political effect of making Rep. Andy Harris’s district more competitive.