Several Republican-led states and a handful of Democratic states have taken steps to redraw congressional districts to give the advantage to the party in charge. But Maryland’s Democratic senate president has turned down a push to do the same.
In a letter to lawmakers obtained by WTOP, Senate President Bill Ferguson warned that redrawing Maryland’s congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms could be catastrophic.
“The legal risks are too high, the timeline for action is dangerous, the downside risk to Democrats is catastrophic, and the certainty of our existing map would be undermined,” Ferguson wrote.
Ferguson pointed to a 2022 court ruling that struck down a previous map for extreme partisan gerrymandering. He said any new map could invite fresh legal challenges and even lead to the courts redrawing the map themselves.
Democrats hold supermajorities in Annapolis, and legislators in states such as California have already passed new maps to counter Republican moves in Texas, North Carolina and Missouri.
But Ferguson argued that if Maryland redraws its map, it could prompt Republican-led states that were holding back to do the same.
“That means Maryland’s potential gain of one seat is immediately eliminated, and, in fact, worsens the national outlook,” he wrote.
Gov. Wes Moore and other Democrats have expressed interest in redistricting, which would target the state’s lone Republican congressman, Andy Harris.
But Ferguson said the risks outweigh the potential gains.
“It is too risky and jeopardizes Maryland’s ability to fight against the radical Trump Administration,” Ferguson wrote.
Moore’s response: ‘Maryland needs to have a backbone’
Responding to the senate president’s letter, Moore’s office provided WTOP with a statement in which Moore said he’s focused on making sure everyone in Maryland has a seat at the table. But when it comes to the Trump administration, he’s not backing down.
“We are not going to bend the knee,” he said, adding that they’re trying to “rig the rules so they can try to win an election” because “they know they cannot win on policy.”
Moore continued, “Maryland needs to stand up. Maryland needs to have a voice, and Maryland needs to have a backbone.”
The governor also promised to work with leaders across the state, including Ferguson and members of the House of Delegates, to make sure Maryland has “fair maps that people can vote on next November.”
In a statement about Ferguson’s letter, Congressman Harris responded.
It seems that at least some of Maryland’s Democrats have finally realized the inevitable — the state’s current congressional map is already gerrymandered to their advantage, and any mid-decade redistricting would only expose that fact further, and open the potential for a court-imposed non-partisan map that could result in two or even three Republicans being elected. Senate President Ferguson’s letter confirms what we’ve known all along: reasonable Democrats in Maryland increasingly see no benefit in reopening a process that would highlight just how unfair and politically motivated Maryland’s district lines have been for years. I’ll continue focusing on serving the people of Maryland’s First District — the job I was elected to do.
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