Maryland Special Session Targets Constitutional Amendment to Redraw 2028 Congressional Maps

Maryland’s General Assembly convened a three-day special session in August to consider House Bill 2100, which would place a constitutional amendment on the November 3 ballot. The amendment would limit the state constitution’s compact-district requirement to state legislative districts, giving the legislature broader latitude to draw congressional maps for the 2028 election cycle. Passage requires a three-fifths vote in both the House and Senate.

Maryland Democrats Launch Special Session to Push 2028 Redistricting

The push follows a 2022 state-court ruling that struck down a Democratic-drawn congressional map as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. Earlier this year, Senate President Bill Ferguson blocked a redistricting effort, citing concerns about judicial review. His stance shifted after the U.S. Supreme Court’s May decision in *Louisiana v. Callais*, which weakened the federal Voting Rights Act and spurred Republican mid-decade redistricting in Southern states. Maryland’s Democratic supermajority views the amendment as a preemptive response.

Maryland Democrats Launch Special Session to Push 2028 Redistricting Democracy DocketMaryland lawmakers to consider steps toward partisan redistricting for 2028 Redistricting amendment in Maryland sets up 2028 map battle: What’s at stake

• Maryland’s current U.S. House delegation is 7 Democrats to 1 Republican (Rep. Andy Harris).

Maryland lawmakers to consider steps toward partisan redistricting for 2028

• The amendment must secure a three-fifths supermajority in both chambers before proceeding to the November 3 voter referendum.

Maryland Democrats Launch Special Session to Push 2028 Redistricting

Democratic leaders argue the amendment restores legislative flexibility while preserving voter control. Lt. Gov. Senate President Bill Ferguson called the special session a “clear legal path forward.” Governor Wes Moore described the effort as an “urgent necessity” to counter Republican redistricting elsewhere.

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Republican officials contend the proposal would dismantle the only Republican-held district. House Minority Leader Jason Buckel warned that testimony limits render hearings “a brief and meaningless formality.” Senate Minority Leader Stephen Hershey called the amendment “confusing” and accused Democratic leadership of trying to “eliminate the only Republican voice” in Maryland’s congressional delegation.

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• Republican Lawmakers: Buckel, Harris, and Hershey uniformly criticized the amendment as a partisan power grab that would undermine rural representation and provoke litigation.

Maryland lawmakers to consider steps toward partisan redistricting for 2028

• Freedom Caucus Member: Del. Mark Fisher labeled the session “banana-republic politics” and suggested it was driven by House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk’s immigrant background.

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• “Look, Maryland cannot just sit on the sidelines. We need to be in the ring, fighting to make sure our voters’ voices are represented,” — Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller

Redistricting amendment in Maryland sets up 2028 map battle: What’s at stake

• “If Democrats insist on using this Special Session for political theater, Republicans will use it to remind Marylanders what their government should actually be working on.” — Del. Mark Fisher

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If the amendment secures the required supermajority, Maryland voters will decide its fate on the November 3 ballot. A successful referendum would allow the General Assembly to redraw congressional districts ahead of the 2028 election, potentially converting the state’s delegation to an all-Democratic slate. Opponents have signaled intent to file lawsuits challenging any new maps under the state constitution and to campaign against the amendment in the upcoming referendum.

Redistricting amendment in Maryland sets up 2028 map battle: What’s at stake