The redistricting effort in Maryland faces a roadblock, with Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson indicating that redistricting legislation is not a priority.
“We are not prioritizing that piece of legislation,” Ferguson said.
“The bill, sponsored by Charles County Del. C.T. Wilson, a Democrat, would implement new congressional boundaries recently recommended by Gov. Wes Moore’s Redistricting Advisory Committee. The map would significantly reshape the 1st and 3rd congressional districts and could put Rep. Andy Harris, the state’s lone Republican member of Congress, at a substantial electoral disadvantage,” The Baltimore Sun wrote.
“Moore and Wilson have framed the mid-cycle redistricting effort as a necessary response to President Donald Trump’s policies and redistricting efforts in other states, arguing the proposal is aimed at protecting minority voices and keeping Maryland competitive at the federal level,” it continued.
Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson says the Senate is “not prioritizing” redistricting legislation, citing that it won’t have an impact on the 2026 election.
The bill, sponsored by Charles County Del. C.T. Wilson, a Democrat, would implement new congressional boundaries… pic.twitter.com/uayBwubp4S
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) February 3, 2026
The Hill shared further:
Ferguson’s comments came less than a day after Maryland state House Democrats advanced a new House map, which looks to give the party an 8-0 edge in the congressional delegation. Right now, Maryland has a 7-1 Democratic-leaning delegation, with Rep. Andy Harris as the lone House Republican.
Many Democrats in the state, including Gov. Wes Moore (D), and nationally have been pushing lawmakers to try to pass a new set of congressional lines ahead of 2026 so Democrats have can add another pickup opportunity in the House in November.
Ferguson’s comments are not entirely surprising given the state Senate president had signaled before that he did not support redistricting in the state.
Democrats’ redistricting effort in Virginia also hit a snag after a judge ruled that a proposed constitutional amendment to redraw the state’s congressional districts was illegal.
Judge Rules Blue State’s Effort To Redraw Congressional Districts Is Illegal
Maryland Matters has more:
Ferguson has repeatedly said he believes approval of a new map would not pass judicial muster. Additionally, he said he believes passage would reopen a 2022 court case that led to the state’s current map, where Democrats enjoy a 7-1 advantage.
That compromise came after a successful legal challenge, led by Del. Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore County), to a map that would have made all eight congressional districts in the state favorable to Democratic candidates. A state judge rejected that map, calling it a product of “extreme partisan gerrymandering.”
On Monday, Szeliga said she would go back to court if the current proposal becomes law.
“The Maryland courts already condemned intentional discrimination, voter dilution and retaliation based on a political party,” Szeliga said during the House debate.
“But you know what? Maryland Republicans, we won’t be erased,” she said. “We will not be silenced, and we will not accept this. We will see you in court, and once again, the Maryland Constitution will uphold our position and strike down this bill.”
Moore, in response to questions about the legal sufficiency of the proposed map, said “we have been working with lawyers and working judges.”
