Maryland Democrats’ decision to halt a proposal to redraw the state’s congressional map ended late Monday as the General Assembly session wrapped up, leaving the bill stalled in a Senate committee rather than advancing for a vote. The outcome undercut Gov. Wes Moore’s effort to use his influence to shape the congressional map for the midterm elections, a bet he framed as part of a broader contest over whether redistricting rules will be manipulated to affect the November outcome.
In a potential setback for the governor, Moore also acknowledged he disagreed with Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson on the redistricting strategy and the urgency of responding to President Donald Trump’s redistricting campaign. Moore told The Associated Press that he viewed the push as a response to Trump’s efforts rather than as routine political maneuvering, and he tied the redistricting fight to what he described as attempts to change election rules.
Moore’s comments came as he addressed concerns about mid-decade redistricting nationwide, including comments he made during an appearance at National Action Network in New York alongside the Rev. Al Sharpton. Moore complained that Trump was urging some states to redraw maps while telling other states to “sit on your hands.” In the AP interview, Moore said: “This is not a political game to me.” He added: “I don’t look at this as some kind of political talking point. I look at the fact that I think Donald Trump is actively trying to manipulate and change the rules around the November election and beyond because he knows he cannot win on his policies.”
Ferguson, a powerful Senate leader whose chamber controls whether the bill moves forward, has said redistricting could backfire for Democrats in Maryland. Ferguson argued that an inevitable legal fight could end with a court ordering a new map that would be even less favorable to the party than the status quo, and he did not shift despite pressure from Moore and from U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The episode reflects a rare mid-decade redistricting push that has expanded from earlier state efforts this cycle. The AP report described the unusual timing as starting after Trump encouraged Republican-controlled Texas to redraw its map last year. Republicans in other states are seeking changes through special sessions or other measures, while Democrats in still other states are pursuing voter approval mechanisms—setting up an uneven landscape that hinges on both legislative calendars and the likelihood of court review.
Maryland’s proposal was also influenced by precedent in the state’s courts. The AP report said the Maryland House passed legislation with a new map in early February, but the measure faced opposition from Ferguson. The senator pointed to a 2021 map that would have made it easier to flip the seat held by the state’s lone Republican member of the U.S. House, Rep. Andy Harris; that 2021 map was ruled unconstitutional by a judge who called it “a product of extreme partisan gerrymandering.” The report said Maryland adopted another map in 2022 and the parties then dropped their legal fight.
Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 in Maryland and already hold a 7-1 advantage in the state’s U.S. House delegation, with Harris as the lone GOP representative. Moore, who is the nation’s only serving Black governor, had framed the proposal as a way to counter what he described as “political redlining” by Trump in other states, at the cost of Black representation in Congress. He compared Trump’s push to discriminatory housing practices and said the president and allies are working to “silence the voices and trying to eliminate Black leadership — elected leadership — all over this country.”
As Maryland’s effort ended without Senate approval, redistricting activity continued elsewhere. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis scheduled a special session next week for the Republican-dominated Legislature to draw new congressional districts; the AP report said 20 of Florida’s 28 congressional seats are currently held by Republicans. In Virginia, early balloting began for a vote on a constitutional amendment for a new congressional map next week, the AP report said, as Democrats and Republicans diverged in their expectations for how many House seats the new maps could change—an outcome that, in other states, is likely to depend heavily on how courts respond to the redraws.
The failed Maryland attempt also illustrates the tight timing facing lawmakers as the legislative session ended late Monday night. The Maryland Senate left the bill in committee, with Democrats in the chamber concerned it could backfire under judicial review—ending the push Moore helped champion during the session. As redistricting proceeds in other states on different schedules, Maryland’s stalled map leaves its next House election contest without the proposed changes Moore sought to achieve before November.