Maryland Democrats send redistricting amendment to voters

Maryland lawmakers approved a proposed constitutional amendment Tuesday that would clear a major legal obstacle to redrawing the state’s congressional map before 2028, giving voters the final say on whether Maryland can fight back against President Donald Trump’s expanding wave of GOP gerrymanders.

The Democratic-controlled General Assembly sent House Bill 2100 to the November ballot after the House of Delegates passed it 96-38 and the Senate approved it 32-13. The measure received the three-fifths support required in both chambers for a proposed constitutional amendment

The amendment does not itself create new congressional districts.

Instead, it makes clear that Maryland’s constitutional requirements for compact districts that respect natural and political boundaries apply to state legislative maps, not congressional maps.

That distinction could prevent the state’s courts from using those rules to block a future congressional plan.

“This legislation does not draw congressional districts,” House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D) said. “It does not change a single line on a map. And it does not affect the upcoming 2026 election. It simply clarifies Maryland law and gives voters the opportunity to decide whether our constitution should provide the same legal framework available to other states as they confront the realities of congressional redistricting.”

The vote marks a decisive response to Republican-led states that have redrawn their congressional maps outside the normal once-a-decade process, following pressure from Trump to create more GOP seats.

Maryland Democrats have said they cannot stand down while Republicans manipulate district lines to entrench their power in Congress.

“None of us want to be back here for a special session,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said. “And I want to be clear that the reason we are here is because Donald Trump has forced us back.”

If voters approve the amendment in November, lawmakers could pursue a new map before the 2028 presidential election. 

Democrats currently hold seven of Maryland’s eight U.S. House seats, while U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) represents the Eastern Shore-based 1st Congressional District.

The amendment alone does not establish an 8-0 Democratic map. But its passage gives Maryland voters the power to remove the state constitutional obstacle that helped derail an earlier Democratic redistricting push — and opens a path for the state to counter Republican gerrymandering with action.