Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 4
Maryland Lawmakers Pass 2028 Redistricting Amendment to Target 1 GOP House Seat
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 4

Maryland Lawmakers Pass 2028 Redistricting Amendment to Target 1 GOP House Seat

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 4

Summary

  • Maryland lawmakers approved a constitutional amendment Tuesday that would let Democrats redraw the congressional map for 2028 and potentially flip the state's lone Republican-held U.S. House seat.
  • The measure heads to voters in November and would exempt congressional districts from state constitutional standards on compactness and respect for county, city and natural boundaries.
  • That change is meant to avoid a repeat of 2022, when a judge struck down Maryland's map under those requirements, and follows the Supreme Court's May decision weakening the Voting Rights Act.
  • Democrats had failed to push through a more aggressive map for the 2026 midterms after Senate President Bill Ferguson warned it was legally risky, leaving the new route focused on the next cycle.

Insights

Will removing geographic boundaries from election maps fundamentally redefine how local communities are represented in 2028?
Could stripping compactness rules from voting districts invite unprecedented legal battles before the next election cycle?