Wes Moore's plan to redraw Maryland's congressional lines blocked by state Dems, falls flat with residents

Maryland Governor Wes Moore is looking to counter President Donald Trump's redistricting push but is hitting roadblocks as the state's senate Democrats have been pushing back on his plan to redraw the congressional map. Less than one third of Maryland residents say that the redrawing of congressional lines in the state is a "high" priority, according to a survey published on Monday.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has been pushing state lawmakers to redraw the congressional districts in his state, but that effort has been stymied by Maryland state Senate President Bill Ferguson, per Politico. A similar situation took place in Indiana earlier in December with the GOP, where Trump was pushing for a map redraw to pick up a couple seats in Indiana, but the GOP-controlled state Senate rejected the new map which would have potentially flipped two Democrat-controlled congressional seats in the state to the GOP come the 2026 midterms.

Moore's new map would likely flip the lone Republican seat in the state to Democrat if carried out, but despite a special session being called this week, the new map will not be a consideration. In a letter sent to other state lawmakers in October about the redraw plan, Ferguson said that a map redraw “twists rules for potential short-term advantage while undermining trust in institutions and ultimately, democracy, but that is not the reason we should not pursue it."

"Simply put, it is too risky and jeopardizes Maryland’s ability to fight against the radical Trump Administration. At a time where every seat in Congress matters, the potential for ceding yet another one to Republicans here in Maryland is simply too great," he added.

Polling indicates Maryland residents are not crazy about Moore's plan. Out of the 801 residents polled by the University of Maryland (UM), only 27 percent of residents said that a map redraw is a high priority. That was far behind the cost of healthcare being a high priority for 77 percent of residents as well as reducing crime at 73 percent. Improving K-12 education was also a high priority with 75 percent of respondents.

Only 28 percent of Maryland residents said the current maps are fair, 41 percent said they were unfair, and 29 percent did not have an opinion. Among Democrats, only 37 percent said in the poll that the current congressional map is drawn fairly and just 17 percent of Republicans said similarly. Among those that were surveyed who said the current lines are unfair, 63 percent of those polled said the map favors Democrats and just 3 percent argued it favors Republicans.

“This is not a huge priority for Maryland voters,” Director of the Institute of Politics at UM Mileah Kromer said. The institute was responsible for conducing the survey. “Perhaps one of the reasons it hasn’t really caught on as a major priority is because over the last year, Maryland voters continue to express concerns about the economic situation in the state.”