Maryland Senate president softens stance on redistricting: 'The rules have changed'
Source: The Hill
05/25/26 12:42 PM ET
Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson (D) signaled a shift this week on mid-decade redistricting, softening his earlier skepticism as battles over congressional maps intensify nationwide ahead of November’s midterms.
Ferguson had previously raised concerns about drawing a new map, warning it could trigger legal challenges and public backlash in a state where Democrats already hold an advantage. That position helped stall efforts backed by Gov. Wes Moore and other Democratic leaders who have pushed to revisit the state’s district lines before the next election cycle. Earlier this week, the state Senate leader suggested the debate is no longer settled.
“The rules have changed,” he said, adding that Maryland “must respond as the ground shifts,” a comment that opened the door to a possible special legislative session.
The shift comes as redistricting fights intensify nationwide, fueled in part by a recent Supreme Court decision that clawed back provisions within the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In the case Louisiana v. Callais, the high court allowed changes to a congressional map that critics say weakened protections against racial gerrymandering, accelerating efforts in several Southern states to redraw districts ahead of the election. That momentum has prompted Democrats to consider more countermeasures to avoid falling behind.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5894019-bill-ferguson-maryland-redistricting-2026-midterms-stance/
The SCOTUS said that states can gerrymander to their heart's content.
Looks like MD is back in the game.
REFERENCES
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143555814
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143555814
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143559267
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143580488
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143602455
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143610559
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143616663
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143650014
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143662406