Maryland Democrats are moving forward with an aggressive mid-decade redistricting plan that could eliminate the state’s only Republican-held U.S. House seat, setting up a high-stakes political and legal fight ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission, appointed by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore and chaired by Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), voted 3–2 on Wednesday to recommend a new “congressional map concept” to the governor and the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. While the recommendation is non-binding, its adoption would likely result in Democrats controlling all eight of Maryland’s U.S. House seats.
The proposal would dramatically reshape Maryland’s 1st Congressional District, currently represented by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. Under the plan, the district would stretch across the Chesapeake Bay, removing conservative-leaning counties such as Harford and Cecil on the Eastern Shore and absorbing Democratic-leaning areas of Anne Arundel and Howard counties, including communities near Columbia.
Supporters have framed the proposal as a response to population shifts and partisan redistricting efforts in other states. Gov. Moore has defended the commission’s work as transparent and responsive to national developments, arguing that Maryland cannot “unilaterally disarm” as other states pursue partisan advantages. Moore has also said he is reviewing the proposal following recent discussions in Washington, D.C., with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Republicans have criticized the move as an overt attempt to eliminate the party’s only congressional foothold in the state. Maryland Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, a Republican, called the process “a partisan power grab disguised as reform…designed to silence dissent and cement one-party rule in Maryland.” Rep. Harris’ office has likewise accused Democrats of partisan gerrymandering and signaled potential legal action if the map is enacted, warning that the proposal fractures established communities to engineer a political outcome.
Criticism has also emerged from within Democratic ranks. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-MD) has questioned the proposal’s legality, warning the map could be “objectively unconstitutional” and vulnerable to court challenges for unnecessarily dividing communities and redrawing district lines mid-decade.
The recommendation now heads to the General Assembly, where lawmakers would need to pass legislation for the map to take effect. Maryland’s congressional maps have repeatedly faced judicial scrutiny, raising the likelihood of renewed litigation if the proposal is adopted.
The push in Maryland comes as Republicans in Indiana took the opposite approach. In December 2025, Indiana lawmakers declined to advance a Trump-backed mid-decade redistricting plan that would have aimed to create a 9–0 Republican congressional delegation by reshaping two Democratic-held districts. The Indiana Senate voted 31–19 against the proposal, with more than twenty Republicans joining all Democrats in opposition, preserving the state’s existing 7–2 GOP map.
President Donald Trump criticized the decision and pledged to back primary challengers against the Republican senators who broke ranks in Indiana. While no evidence has emerged of any formal or informal agreement between Indiana Republicans and Maryland Democrats to mutually refrain from redistricting, online speculation has linked Indiana’s vote to Maryland Democrats’ subsequent push.
As the 2026 midterms approach, Maryland’s proposal underscores how redistricting is again emerging as a flashpoint in the battle for control of the U.S. House, with both parties increasingly willing to test legal and political boundaries in pursuit of advantage.
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