Gov. Wes Moore‘s (D-MD) hopes to redistrict Maryland have fallen by the wayside as the state Senate refused to advance an effort to redraw the state’s maps in favor of Democrats.
The Maryland Democratic caucus was splintered over the redistricting move, as Democratic state Senate President Bill Ferguson staunchly opposed the effort Moore had promoted. Though the state House passed Moore’s proposed map, which would have favored Democrats in all eight districts, the Senate did not advance the map out of committee before the legislative session ended on Monday.
“I know there’s disagreement right now between the House and the Senate,” Moore said during his February State of the State address. “So my ask is simple: Do not let the democratic process die in the free state. Debate it, discuss it, make adjustments if necessary. And put it to a vote.”
The Senate did not put the bill to a vote, leaving it to die in the rules committee, despite the House advancing the new map. Ferguson initially came out against the measure in October, nixing the idea months before the House passed the measure.
The Democratic state Senate leader pointed to legal risks, the short timeline before the 2026 midterm elections, and the political risks of messing with the state’s existing map when he told his chamber to stand down last October.
“Despite deeply shared frustrations about the state of our country, mid-cycle redistricting for Maryland presents a reality where the legal risks are too high, the timeline for action is dangerous, the downside risk to Democrats is catastrophic, and the certainty of our existing map would be undermined,” Ferguson wrote in October.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also backed the measure, and even went to Annapolis in February to urge Ferguson to pass the new maps.
“I appreciated the opportunity to share my perspective,” Jeffries said at the time. “He shared his perspective, and we’ll see where it goes from here.”
With Ferguson’s stiff arm prevailing, the failure deals a blow to Moore, a potential 2028 presidential candidate. Moore was unable to get the measure across the finish line, unlike other governors-turned-possible-presidential-hopefuls, such as Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA).
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Moore had portrayed the redistricting as a reactionary measure to President Donald Trump‘s efforts to gain more Republican seats in red states like Texas.
Next week, voters in neighboring Virginia will decide if they want to redistrict the commonwealth in favor of Democrats, as the nationwide mid-decade redistricting battle comes to a head before the 2026 midterm primaries ramp up.