ANNAPOLIS — Gov. Wes Moore defended his redistricting advisory commission Friday, one day after the commission met behind closed doors and voted to proceed toward redrawing congressional maps in what one member called a “pre- ordained” decision.
“I’m very proud of the work that the commission is doing,” Moore said Friday. “They have run the most transparent and above-board redistricting advisory commission inside this entire country.”
In a brief meeting Thursday evening, the Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission voted to ask the public to submit new congressional district maps, and said it would hold two more meetings, that were not immediately scheduled. It came even though a special session of the General Assembly, where many thought redistricting might have been taken up, came and went this week.
The Legislature reconvenes Jan. 14, leaving it just six weeks to do any redistricting before the Feb. 24 candidate filing deadline for 2026 elections.
The vote occurred during an unannounced meeting that was closed to the public, frustrating good governance advocates and drawing a stern rebuke from state Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat and a commission member who opposes the governor’s midcycle redistricting push.
Ferguson argued that the outcome of Moore’s commission was “pre-determined.”
When asked about the unannounced meeting, Moore deferred to the commission, which is led by U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md. But he argued that “none” of the commission members “feel that this was a pre-baked process.”
“This commission is a bipartisan group of leaders who have heard from people all across the state and will continue (to hear) from people all across the state,” Moore said.
So far, the commission has held five virtual meetings, during which hundreds of Marylanders have chimed in about the concept of redistricting before the next Census. But it has yet to discuss actual maps.
Thursday, Alsobrooks announced that the commission will release the submitted maps after Christmas, and then hold two additional public meetings to gather feedback.
Alsobrooks argued that Maryland must enter the redistricting fight in response to Republican President Donald Trump’s effort to convince Republican-led states to redraw their congressional district maps to favor the GOP.
“At a moment when other states are moving aggressively to redraw maps — and with some already signaling they want the Supreme Court to weaken or effectively nullify key protections in the Voting Rights Act — Maryland cannot afford to sit on the sidelines,” Alsobrooks said in a statement released by the governor’s office Thursday.
“We have a responsibility to move forward so the next Congress reflects the will of the people and can serve as a real check on this president.”
Republicans hold only one of Maryland’s eight seats in the House of Representatives, and neither of Maryland’s two Senate seats.
Statewide, Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 2 to 1, meaning Maryland Democrats are already overrepresented in Congress.
Ferguson has argued that the potential reward for Democrats — who could gain one additional seat by redrawing the maps — does not outweigh the potential risks, such as losing a seat, or opening the door for court challenges that could jeopardize Maryland’s current maps.
“I agreed to participate on behalf of the Senate of Maryland because we were tasked with hearing from Marylanders as to whether to move forward with mid-cycle redistricting. The cumulative oral and written testimony received to date demonstrates by a large margin that Marylanders oppose mid-cycle redistricting,” Ferguson said in a statement released before Thursday’s hastily called meeting.
“Moreover, we did not engage in a thoughtful, informed conversation that would have included, at the very least, testimony from the Office of the Attorney General, or our state and local boards of elections. Pushing forward a pre- ordained recommendation outside the public eye is irresponsible and lacks transparency,” his statement said.
In polling recently conducted by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, state residents paying attention to the issue were almost evenly split on whether or not to move forward.
In the poll, 40% of the respondents who said they were following the redistricting debate do not like the idea and feel that it should not be done. Another 7% said that although they liked the idea, it was the “wrong thing to do.”
By comparison, 24% said the state should do it, and another 21% said that although they didn’t like the idea, it is “necessary” to redistrict.
But overall, Marylanders ranked redistricting the lowest on a list of priorities that was topped by the cost of health care, the quality of K-12 education and reducing crime. Only 27% rated redistricting as a “high” priority.
“Being able to defend our democracy and have fair and competitive maps — that is something that is a priority for the people of Maryland,” Moore said Friday.
“I’m really thankful that this bipartisan commission has, I think, done not just a good and admirable, but a very transparent job of making sure that the people’s voices are heard. I do not understand how you can suppress democracy and do it under the blanket of defending Congress.”
Asked about whether he was determined to redistrict because of a push by national Democrats, Moore was forceful.
“I don’t listen to party bosses. Party bosses don’t determine how I move,” Moore said. “This is a Maryland process.”