Maryland Enacts New Congressional Map Following Lawsuits
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On April 4, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) signed a new congressional map into law after the first iteration was struck down. On March 25, the initial congressional map, which created seven Democratic districts and one Republican district, was struck down by a trial court that ruled the map was a partisan gerrymander that favored Democrats in violation of the Maryland Constitution.
This decision was appealed by defendants. Meanwhile, the map-drawing process went back to the General Assembly and a remedial congressional map was passed on March 30. The new map creates six Democratic districts, one Republican district and one competitive district, which Hogan called a “huge improvement.” Before the signing ceremony, the defendants who had previously appealed the decision agreed to withdraw their appeal.