Full Breakdown
Maryland Special Session Proposes Constitutional Amendment to Clarify Congressional Redistricting Rules
8/4/2026, 10:23:45 PM
Core Event
During a special legislative session, Maryland’s General Assembly began debating a constitutional amendment that would limit the state-court-imposed compactness and boundary-respect requirements to state legislative districts, leaving congressional districts free from those constraints. The amendment, House Bill 2100, passed the House of Delegates 96-38 and now moves to the Senate for a three-fifths approval before it can be placed on the November ballot. If adopted, the change would give the General Assembly broader latitude to draw congressional maps for the 2028 election cycle.
Background & Context
- In 2022, Judge Lynne Battaglia struck down a Democratic-drawn congressional map, ruling that the same compactness and natural-boundary standards applied to state legislative districts must also govern congressional districts.
- The U.S. Supreme Court’s May 2024 decision that weakened the Voting Rights Act prompted several Southern states to redraw maps quickly, a development Senate President Bill Ferguson called a “legal earthquake.”
- Governor Wes Moore ordered a redistricting advisory commission in August 2025 after Republican-led states pursued mid-decade map changes. The commission’s draft would make Rep. Andy Harris’s Eastern Shore district more competitive.
Data & Statistics
- House vote on the amendment: 96-38 in favor.
- Constitutional amendment passage requires a three-fifths majority in both chambers.
- The amendment would not affect the 2026 congressional election, according to legislators.
- Maryland’s current congressional delegation: seven Democrats and one Republican (Rep. Andy Harris).
Official Statements & Responses
- Governor Wes Moore framed the effort as an “urgent necessity,” emphasizing that the amendment would give voters the final say on how congressional districts are drawn.
Criticism & Opposition
- House Minority Leader Jason Buckel called the hearings “a brief and meaningless formality.”
- Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey described the process as “hyper-partisan gerrymandering” and accused Democrats of using the amendment to avoid direct legislative responsibility.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It clarifies the law and ensures Maryland plays by the same rules as other states. It prepares for the future by giving the Legislature the ability to quickly respond, if necessary,” — House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk
- “I would say, for anyone who thinks this is a done issue, they are sorely mistaken,” — Gov. Wes Moore
What’s Next
- The Senate must approve the amendment by a three-fifths vote to send it to the ballot.
- If approved, Maryland voters will decide the amendment in the November general election.
