Maryland Democrat Reps. Steny Hoyer and Jamie Raskin are pressuring their state lawmakers to redraw their congressional maps to give Democrats one more seat in Congress.
Hoyer, the former House majority leader, and Raskin wrote a letter to the Maryland General Assembly saying they support redistricting to restrict President Donald Trump’s “authoritarian attack on democratic elections and voting rights.”
The letter comes after Gov. Wes Moore announced the creation of a redistricting advisory commission to get feedback from Marylanders on whether the state should move forward with the process.
Maryland’s lone Republican in the House, Rep. Andy Harris, represents the 1st Congressional District, which includes the Eastern Shore, Harford County, and parts of Baltimore County.
While Marylanders voted overwhelmingly for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, Andy Harris’ district voted for Trump by 17 points.
The current congressional map for Maryland was approved by state lawmakers in 2022, meaning that redistricting would normally take place in 2032, after the 2030 Census has taken place.
State Senate President Bill Ferguson has been staunchly opposed to redistricting, believing the new maps could be struck down by the Maryland Supreme Court, leading to a map less advantageous to Republicans.
“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,” Ferguson said.
Raskin and Hoyer’s letter rejected Ferguson’s argument, noting that if the map were struck down, the General Assembly would be able to draw a new one.
Marylanders are in the fight of our lives to defend American democracy, the lawmakers said.
“Is it an ethical, moral and political imperative to use every lawful means at our disposal to fight back?” Raskin and Hoyer wrote. “Can we successfully and lawfully redistrict to respond to these GOP assaults?”
“We believe the answer is yes,” Raskin and Hoyer wrote.
Moore, a Democrat, defended his redistricting effort Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” noting that other states are doing the same.
“I’m just not sure why we should be playing by a different set of rules than Texas, or than Florida, or than Ohio or all these other places,” the governor said.
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