Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced a new redistricting commission Tuesday, an apparent attempt to nudge reluctant state lawmakers toward redrawing the state's congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections
“My commitment has been clear from day one—we will explore every avenue possible to make sure Maryland has fair and representative maps,” Moore, a Democrat, said in a statement. “This commission will ensure the people are heard.”
Moore’s party is split on the issue: State Senate President Bill Ferguson said last week that there wasn't the support in his chamber to move forward with a mid-decade redistricting effort. Moore, who is viewed as a potential 2028 presidential contender, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., continued to insist it was on the table.
Maryland's commission plans to host public hearings and gather feedback from voters and make recommendations to “improve” the congressional map, Moore's office said in a news release.
The commission will include five members, comprised of three gubernatorial appointees and two legislative leaders or designees. Moore appointed U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, who will chair the committee, former state Attorney General Brian Frosh, and Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss.
In a statement, Ferguson said the state Senate would participate in the process, which he said could be used to highlight the risks that drove him to oppose a redistricting push.
“Marylanders’ voices remain central to this process, and these public meetings will provide an opportunity for voters to hear about the unique legal barriers in Maryland — barriers that could unintentionally give Donald Trump another one or two of Maryland’s congressional seats should this effort backfire in our courts,” Ferguson said in a statement.
Currently, Democrats control all but one congressional district in Maryland.
Maryland is one of several states that national Democrats hope will redraw their congressional maps to compete in response to Republican redistricting efforts around the country that have occurred at Trump's urging.
Republicans have so far enacted new maps in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina. A Democratic proposal to redraw California's district lines to boost the party appears before voters Tuesday. And Virginia Democrats last week took the first step of a multipronged redistricting push.
In an interview with NBC News on Friday, Ferguson warned against these expanding efforts.
“The path that we are on is unsustainable, and nobody wants to or feels that they should unilaterally disarm. I don’t think that’s what this is,” he said. “I think this is leaning into a reality of — if we want to protect this democracy in the future, we have got to chart a different path.”
