Copyright Baltimore Sun
Former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan accused his successor, Gov. Wes Moore, on Wednesday of succumbing to “his national ambitions” by launching a redrawing of congressional district maps with a commission Hogan said is tilted to Democrats’ advantage. “In an effort to satisfy national Democrats, the governor has tasked his allies with reopening Maryland’s congressional map in the middle of the decade,” Hogan said in a statement in response to The Baltimore Sun’s redistricting questions. Hogan, who served two terms before Moore took office in 2023, said Moore “should not disenfranchise Marylanders to serve his national ambitions.” He appeared to be referring to Moore’s status as a national political player who has been touted as a possible 2028 presidential contender. Moore has said he will serve a full second term if reelected governor next year. Asked for comment on Hogan’s remarks, a Moore spokesperson referenced a reply the governor gave to radio station WTOP: “I have not paid attention to Republican Larry Hogan’s tweets — we’ve been busy over here.” Moore on Tuesday said he will convene the Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission to provide recommendations about district boundaries of the state’s eight U.S House seats. The governor said the goal is to ensure “the people are heard” and that “Maryland has fair and representative maps.” Redistricting normally follows the census only every 10 years to ensure that congressional, state and local districts maintain relatively equal populations. But redistricting is about much more than that. Analysts said parties controlling statehouses around the country, such as Democrats in Maryland and Republicans in North Carolina, use redistricting as a political scalpel, carving up maps to assign their party’s voters to districts where they can best influence elections. Redistricting often leads to gerrymandering, in which large numbers of the opposite party’s voters, or members of a racial or ethnic group, are often packed into a limited number of districts, leaving that party or group with too few voters to compete elsewhere. This year, national Republicans led by President Donald Trump’s administration are pressuring red states like Texas and Indiana to launch mid-decade redistricting to create more GOP-leaning districts ahead of the 2026 midterms. Democrats have followed suit, saying they cannot allow the GOP such a significant redistricting advantage as the parties compete for control of the House. Republicans currently hold a slim majority. California voters on Tuesday approved new U.S. House district boundaries that could net Democrats five additional seats, the same amount Texas Republicans hope to gain from a similar move in their state. Many government watchdog groups are opposed to the current flurry of redistricting if it leads to partisan gerrymandering. Analysts said Moore is pressured to launch Maryland redistricting because his national party considers it critical to counter the GOP. “On one hand, you can’t really blame Democrats for trying to respond,” said Flavio Hickel, an associate political science professor at Washington College in Chestertown. “Taking the moral high ground at this point is not going to do you any favors, either with your base or politically.” But a Maryland redistricting effort poses risk, according to state Senate President Bill Ferguson. Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat, said last week that revisiting congressional boundaries could expose Maryland’s current map to new legal challenges and possibly lead to court-ordered revisions less favorable to Democrats. He pointed to Szeliga v. Lamone, a 2022 redistricting case in which a judge struck down an earlier map favorable to Democrats as “a product of extreme partisan gerrymandering.” The legislature later approved a revised version, which went unchallenged and remains in effect. Maryland redistricting “could unintentionally give Donald Trump another one or two of Maryland’s congressional seats should this effort backfire in our courts,” Ferguson’s statement said. Maryland currently has seven U.S. House Democrats and one Republican, Rep. Andy Harris, whose district includes Harford County and the Eastern Shore. Harris said in a statement Wednesday that the state’s redistricting commission is partisan and “was obviously rigged from the start.” The commission is to be made up of five members, three of whom are appointed by Moore: Democratic Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, who will serve as chair, former Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, another Democrat, and Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss, who is listed as non-partisan. Ferguson and Democratic House Speaker Adrienne Jones or their designees will also serve on the panel. Jones announced she will appoint Del. C.T. Wilson, a Charles County Democrat, as her designee to the commission. “My commitment has been clear from day one — we will explore every avenue possible to make sure Maryland has fair and representative maps,” Moore said in a news release. Have a news tip? Contact Jeff Barker at jebarker@baltsun.com.
